INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts are have made another move as injuries continue building up at the wide receiver position.
The team announced today it has signed free agent wide receiver Dontrelle Inman.
The veteran Inman, 30, returns for his second stint with the Colts after making a solid contribution as a midseason pickup last year.
Signed as a free agent last Oct. 16, Inman became an immediate playmaker for the Indy offense under head coach Frank Reich and offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni, both of whom he had played under during their times with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers.
In nine games played with four starts for the Colts last year, Inman finished with 28 receptions for 304 yards and three touchdowns, while also logging eight catches for 108 yards and another score in Indy's two postseason contests.
"Just with Nick and I having a history with Dontrelle and working with Dontrelle — this guy is just a pro," Reich said of Inman last season. "We knew getting him in the building that we would not only get production from him but leadership. He has really provided that. I mean he is a really stabilizing, calming influence in the receiver room. This guy has been there, done that and has seen a lot of ball. He's got a great perspective, a great work ethic and then is a really smart and savvy football player."
Heading into this past offseason as a free agent, Inman initially signed with the New England Patriots before being re-signed by the Chargers. He logged eight receptions for 132 yards in four games with one start in Los Angeles this season before being placed on injured reserve with a quad injury suffered in the Chargers' Week 4 matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
He was waived off the Chargers' injured reserve list on Nov. 25, and reportedly worked out with the Colts last week.
Inman, a seventh-year NFL veteran, has played in 62 total games with 34 starts throughout his career, and has logged 166 receptions for 2,233 yards and 11 touchdowns. He helps add stability and an immediate playmaker for a Colts wide receiver corps hit hard by the injury bug throughout this season.
Free agent pickup Devin Funchess suffered a broken clavicle back in Week 1 against the Chargers and was placed on IR; he was brought back to practice on Nov. 13 with hopes of returning to the active roster for the final stretch of the regular season, but Reich confirmed Dec. 1 that Funchess' surgically-repaired clavicle just wasn't healing as quickly as anticipated, and that he’ll revert to IR for the remainder of the year.
A second key contributor at wide receiver, Chester Rogers, was also placed on IR last week after suffering a season-ending knee injury Week 13 against the Tennessee Titans. In a corresponding move, the team elevated wide receiver Chad Williams to the active roster from the practice squad.
Rookie wide receiver Parris Campbell, meanwhile, was placed on injured reserve on Monday after suffering a broken foot in Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Then there's top wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, who has missed a combined six games this season with multiple injuries. Reich said Monday Hilton is still considered week-to-week as he tries to work his way back from a nagging calf injury.
Inman's signing leaves one more open roster spot on the 53-man roster. Reich said Monday the team was hoping to fill both spots within "a couple days."
