INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich said today that second-year wide receiver Daurice Fountain will miss the entire 2019 season after undergoing "successful" surgery to fix a dislocated and fractured ankle suffered during Thursday's final training camp practice.
Fountain had the procedure on Friday, according to Reich, and it "went very well."
"We'll give him all the support that we can and (that) he needs," Reich said. "We expect a full and complete recovery."
Fountain suffered the injury to his left ankle while blocking near the sideline on a sweep play during Thursday's second and final joint training camp practice with the Cleveland Browns. He was carted off the field and transported to a local hospital.
Reich said Fountain will soon be placed on injured reserve, which will officially end his season.
At the time of his injury, Fountain was one of the team's top performers in camp, and he was making a major push for a spot on the team's regular season roster. He tweeted a message to Colts fans on Saturday thanking them for their support:
The Colts will continue trying to find the right mix at wide receiver heading into Saturday's third preseason game against the Chicago Bears.
While the team appears set with its top two wide receivers in T.Y. Hilton and Devin Funchess, the team could end up keeping as many as four other receivers on its Week 1 roster, and the rest of the players fighting for those spots — including Deon Cain, Parris Campbell, Krishawn Hogan, Marcus Johnson, Zach Pascal and Chester Rogers, among others – have all been consistent performers in practices and preseason games.
Reich said Sunday during a conference call with reporters that while he hasn't normally kept six wide receivers on the 53-man roster throughout his coaching career, that is an option that he has discussed with general manager Chris Ballard.
