Indianapolis Colts punter Rigoberto Sanchez will likely miss the entire season after he sustained an Achilles injury during practice on Tuesday, a team spokesperson said.
Sanchez went down during the final moments of practice on Tuesday when the entire team was running sprints — something, as the punter, he wouldn’t normally participate in.
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Sanchez will undergo further testing on Wednesday to determine the severity of his injury. , his Achilles is believed to have ruptured — which will end his season.
Sanchez was gearing up for his sixth season with the Colts this fall. He has been the team’s punter and kickoff specialist since the Colts signed him after he went undrafted in 2017, and the 27-year-old signed a four-year, $11.6 million extension in 2019. He averaged 44.5 yards per punt last season, and was ranked ninth in the league in punts taken inside the 20-yard line last season.
The Colts do not have a backup punter on their roster, so they will have to pick up someone to replace Sanchez before Week 1. The team has kickers Rodrigo Blankenship and Jake Verity available for kickoffs. Sanchez also served as the team’s holder on field goals.