INDIANAPOLIS – The Colts' (other) hometown hero is officially back in blue for another season.
Tight end Jack Doyle has signed his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent, the team announced on Thursday.
Doyle, who attended Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, will now enter his fourth season with the Colts.
This year's role for Doyle could be an expanded one, from an offensive standpoint.
With Coby Fleener's departure, the Colts are losing a guy who played around two-thirds of the team's offensive snaps.
Those reps might shrink depending on how much new coordinator Rob Chudzinski wants to use the tight end position.
In past stops though, Chud has employed a "tight end-friendly offense" as fellow coach Ron Rivera called it at the League Meetings. Chud was Rivera's offensive coordinator in Carolina from 2011-12.
If the Colts continue to use extensive packages with two tight ends, Doyle is the likely beneficiary alongside Dwayne Allen.
The Colts initially claimed Doyle off waivers from the Titans after the 2013 final cut down.
Since then, Doyle has yet to miss a game due to injury and has caught 35 passes for 209 yards and three touchdowns.
Doyle is a frequent contributor on special teams and a player Chuck Pagano has labeled: "you can never have enough Jack Doyle's."
The Colts will now have Doyle for a fourth NFL season.
A behind the scenes look at Jack's 2015 photo shoot in the #ColtsPhotoGarage
