INDIANAPOLIS — Malik Hooker's promising rookie season has ended before it even had the chance to hit the halfway mark.
Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano announced on Monday that Hooker will suffered an MCL/ACL injury during the second quarter of Sunday's 27-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Hooker was injured during a long pass play from Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles to wide receiver Allen Hurns with 4:37 left in the second quarter of Sunday's game.
After Hurns broke away from two would-be tacklers around the Jacksonville 46-yard line, Hooker, the team's starting free safety, gave chase along the left sideline, where wide receiver Keelan Cole delivered a low block at the Indianapolis 40. Hurns would go out of bounds shortly thereafter to complete the 50-yard play.
Hooker, the Colts' first-round pick in this year's NFL Draft out of Ohio State, ends his rookie season having played in seven games with six starts, collecting 21 tackles, three interceptions and four passes defensed.
During Indianapolis' Week 4 game against the Seattle Seahawks, he became the first Colts rookie to intercept at least one pass in three consecutive games dating back to 1984, when Eugene Daniel accomplished the feat from Weeks 13-15.
Also, entering Sunday's game, Hooker's three picks were tied for the second most in the NFL, and were just one behind the Buffalo Bills' Micah Hyde's four.
After Sunday's game, Hooker took to Twitter with a message for his supporters:
"Was a fun year while it lasted," he wrote. "Enjoyed every moment of it. Appreciate all the support and love, in the mean time starting this journey for the return….stay tuned.
PS: I WILL BE BACK!!!!"
With Hooker out for the year, the Colts currently have a couple options at the position, including veteran Darius Butler — who is listed as the team's second free safety on its unofficial depth chart — and second-year safety T.J. Green.
The team could also soon see the return of safety Clayton Geathers, who has missed the first seven games as he recovers from offseason neck surgery. Pagano said he expected Geathers to practice in a limited fashion this week for the first time all season.
