INDIANAPOLIS – A man who found the end zone a team-leading eight times last season is back with the Colts.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Colts agreed to terms with veteran running Ahmad Bradshaw.
In playing 13 games with the Colts the last two seasons, Bradshaw has been an extremely productive piece to the Colts offense.
Unfortunately, injuries have told the story in Bradshaw's time with the Colts.
After missing 12 total games in six seasons with the New York Giants, Bradshaw battled a neck injury (2013) and a broken fibula (2014) in Indianapolis.
Bradshaw returned from a serious neck injury last season and was vital in the Colts league-leading offense in 2014.
In eight games last year, Bradshaw averaged 4.7 yards per carry and caught 38 balls out of the backfield. A dozen of those catches came in the red zone and Bradshaw caught six touchdowns.
"He's a warrior," Chuck Pagano said of Bradshaw last week, when the veteran running back visited the Colts.
"I think everybody in this (media) room and everybody in our locker room and this organization knew what he did for our football team and what kind of toughness and energy and passion that he brings. He's one of heck of a ball player. Again, he's a warrior. One of the toughest guys I've been around. He's a tone setter. You think back a couple of years ago, and I don't like talking about history, but he set the tone for one of the biggest wins we've had since we've been together here out in the Bay Area (Week Three, 2013, versus San Francisco). That all started on the first play of the game where he touched the football. He's a great, great player. He's a warrior and we'll see what happens."
When Bradshaw went down last November with a broken fibula, the Colts offense was never the same.
"It kills you because he's a warrior," Pagano said after the Colts placed Bradshaw on injured reserve last season.
"He loves football. He loves his teammates. He loves the (Horseshoe). He loves competing….We are going to miss his energy, his passion, everything he brings to the table."
The 29-year-old Bradshaw was a free agent in 2015 and no team signed the two-time 1,000-yard rusher.
He was cleared to return to football back in June.
Also, in June, the NFL suspended Bradshaw one game for violating the league's program of substance abuse policy (marijuana possession). The one-game suspension against Bradshaw has been lifted and he's eligible to play this Sunday night.
With Bradshaw now in the fold, he's expected to provide some quality depth behind Frank Gore, along with rookie Josh Robinson and Zurlon Tipton. The Colts placed Tyler Varga (concussion) on injured reserve to make room for Bradshaw.
