INDIANAPOLIS – Those Chris Ballard words have turned into action for Tyquan Lewis.
Back in January, Ballard didn’t shy away from singling out the play of Lewis in 2021.
It had all the sounds of Lewis returning to the Colts, needing to prove his health though on a short-term deal.
And that action took place on Tuesday, with Lewis re-signing on a 1-year deal (reportedly worth $3 million).
When Lewis suffered a season-ending patellar knee injury last Halloween, the Colts felt his absence in the final half of the season.
“Lewis was a big loss for us,” Ballard said. “He was really coming on and playing good football for us.”
That’s good news for Lewis wanting the Colts to bring him back as a free agent in 2022.
Of course, the patella injury that Lewis did suffer was another black eye on his health resume.
Since being drafted by the Colts in the 2nd round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Lewis has played in 41 games, while missing 24 contests.
Lewis has played double-digit games in just 1 of his 4 seasons. That’s hard to get around.
Re-signing Lewis is something similar to what Ballard did with Jack Mewhort a few years back. It is a short-term deal (one year) to a player (and person) the Colts like and hope can return to full health (Lewis did play all 16 games in 2020).
A healthy Lewis gives the Colts a key versatile presence, which is something that Ballard really covets in wanting to build defensive line depth.
Bringing Lewis back didn’t break the bank and he’s another body to throw in the mix of a group that still needs upgrades, but also one that missed his unique role last year.
Fellow defensive linemen Al-Quadin Muhammad and Kemoko Turay remain free agents in 2022.
