WESTFIELD — The Colts are bringing back a familiar face to fill a hole left by a significant injury.
Indianapolis signed veteran tight end Pharaoh Brown on Thursday and placed another veteran, tight end Sean McKeon, on injuredd reserve after McKeon suffered a significant shoulder injury Tuesday.
By placing McKeon directly on injured reserve during training camp, Indianapolis is indicating that McKeon is done for the season. NFL teams must wait to place players on injured reserve until the final roster cutdown to 53 if the team wants to bring that player back later in the season.
McKeon, who has spent parts of the past three seasons on the Indianapolis practice squad and played in one game last year, went down Tuesday after a passing play to the sideline, tried to get up and had trouble standing up straight. Trainers immediately removed McKeon from practice. McKeon is seeking a second opinion on his shoulder, a source indicated to IndyStar, after the Colts encouraged the tight end to do so.
Indianapolis tried out six tight ends on Thursday: Brown, Baylor Cupp, Brandon Frazier, Heinrich Haarberg, John Stephens and Jermaine Terry. Ultimately, the Colts opted for the 32-year-old Brown, who spent time with the Colts in training camp in 2023.
Brown has played for eight teams in his NFL career, producing 74 catches for 732 yards and three touchdowns over nine seasons. The veteran tight end played in seven games for the Cardinals last season, catching two passes for one yard.
Barring an injury, it will be difficult for Brown to make the final Indianapolis roster. Tyler Warren is the team’s starter, and the Colts brought back every member of the four-man room Indianapolis carried at tight end last season. Besides Warren, who will be one of the focal points of the Indianapolis offense, the Colts have Mo Alie-Cox as the team’s primary blocking tight end, Drew Ogletree as another blocking option who can play different spots in the formation and Will Mallory, Warren’s primary backup as a receiving tight end.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts bring back veteran TE after placing another TE on injured reserve
Reporting by Joel A. Erickson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Joel A. Erickson, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
