The Indianapolis Colts did not do much winning last season. With quarterback Andrew Luck missing the entire season due to shoulder surgery, the Colts slumped to a disappointing 4-12 record. Owner Jim Irsay and general manager Chris Ballard have both come out this offseason to say that the team is in the middle of a rebuilding phase which could take time before they can compete again.
However, head coach Frank Reich disagrees with the notion that they're rebuilding, and so does safety Malik Hooker. The incoming second-year player believes the Colts as currently constructed are capable of racking up the wins as soon as this season.
“I’m definitely the guy that I feel like we’re capable of winning now,” Hooker said, per Andrew Walker of the team’s website. “You know, we’ve got a lot of great players, a lot of good players coming back as well. So I feel like this year, we’ve got a young, fast and good, physical team, so I feel like we’re definitely capable of winning now.”
Apart from Luck, Hooker likely includes himself as one of those “good players” set to come back to the team this season. Hooker, the team’s first-round pick last season, missed most of his rookie year due to injuries and is still recovering from a torn ACL.
While it’s admirable to commend Hooker’s confidence in his team, his comments will likely be met with some skepticism. There are still several question marks regarding the team’s wide receiver and running back options, not to mention the defense, which was among the worst in the league again last season. And of course, Luck’s effectiveness post-surgery also remains a mystery.
With so many unknowns on the roster, it’s hard to see the Colts making that big of an improvement from last season. But if Luck and Hooker get back to playing to the level they did post-injuries, they may stand a chance of proving their doubters wrong.
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