WESTFIELD, Ind. — Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Deon Cain is expected to miss the 2018 season after tearing his ACL in Thursday's preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks, head coach Frank Reich told reporters on Friday.
In other injury news, two running backs — Marlon Mack (hamstring) and Robert Turbin (ankle) — are considered "week-to-week," as is wide receiver James Wright (knee).
Cain made his NFL preseason debut when the second-unit offense, led by quarterback Jacoby Brissett, took the field midway through the second quarter of Thursday's game against the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. He was targeted twice, catching one pass for four yards, before suffering his knee injury about midway through the third quarter, likely when trying to cut while running a route, Reich said.
A sixth-round pick out of Clemson in this year's NFL Draft, Cain had been a standout performer throughout training camp, as he's logged several impressive catches and drew loud cheers from an excited fanbase that's hoping to see some young, talented wide receivers step up and help take the pressure off No. 1 target T.Y. Hilton.
"Really unfortunate, obviously," Reich said in a conference call with reporters. "He was having a great camp. ... He'll come back faster and stronger next year."
Mack, meanwhile, was effective as the Colts' starting running back on Thursday, running the ball four times for nine yards, but adding two receptions for 23 yards as he helped quarterback Andrew Luck — playing in his first NFL game action since Jan. 1, 2017 — get into a bit of a groove early on.
But Mack would suffer a hamstring injury late in the first quarter, and was replaced in the lineup by the veteran Turbin. It's immediately unknown when Turbin suffered his ankle injury.
Mack and Turbin's absence give the Colts just three healthy running backs as they report back to Westfield, Ind., and Grand Park Sports Campus on Saturday to resume training camp practices: Nyheim Hines, Jordan Wilkins and Christine Michael. Josh Ferguson has been out most of training camp, also with a hamstring issue.
If Mack's injury happens to keep him out of the start of the regular season at all, the team knows for sure it'll have to account for not only his loss, but also the temporary loss of Turbin, who is suspended the first four games of the season.
