Indianapolis Colts tight end Jelani Woods has yet to make his season debut and the thought of whether it will happen is beginning to come into doubt.
Woods has been on the injured reserve list all season due to a hamstring injury he suffered during the first week of training camp. He missed the entire preseason and has been on the reserve list since the start of the 2023 campaign.
When asked whether he thinks Woods will be ready at all this season, head coach Shane Steichen stuck to his typical non-answer.
“We’ll see.”
That has been Steichen’s typical answer for injuries throughout the season. He rarely gives updates and most of the time it’s a choice between “We’ll see” and “He’s progressing well.”
“He keeps working through his rehab process,” Steichen said. “When the time’s ready, he’ll be ready.”
Coaches rarely dive deep into injuries unless it’s a serious ailment and even then, the majority of coaches don’t like to comment on a prognosis.
With Woods, though, it has been a major mystery. It was reported that the second-year tight end tore his hamstring, the same one he dealt with during the spring, which also forced him to miss some time.
The tight end room certainly could use his skills as a receiver. While Andrew Ogletree has been a promising development in that area and Kylen Granson has proven to be a decent safety valve, Woods brings a different element of explosiveness.
Considering the lack of information we have, Woods could return to practice next week or we may not see him until 2024.
Regardless, the anticipation to see him work in Steichen’s offense is high.
