The Indianapolis Colts haven't officially announced their starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but Kerry Collins is still trying to recover from a concussion he sustained two weeks ago on a hit by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Farrior.
"When I look back over my (NFL) career, I can probably remember having a half-dozen or more small ones," Collins said Thursday. "I've never had a lot of big ones, and this one has hung around longer than any of them."
Collins did individual work at Wednesday's practice and was expected to do the same Thursday, but he still hasn't been cleared to play. So Curtis Painter, who threw two touchdown passes during Monday night's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is preparing to make his second consecutive start this weekend.
But in Indianapolis, all the questions are about franchise quarterback Peyton Manning, who's still growing accustomed to being out after making 227 consecutive starts, including postseason games -- the second-longest streak by an NFL quarterback behind only Brett Favre.
"It's a new experience for me," said Manning, who's still recovering from his third neck surgery in 19 months. "People ask, how are you handling it? I'm learning."
Notes:Colts safety Melvin Bullitt was scheduled to have surgery Friday on his right shoulder. Bullitt already has been placed on injured reserve, ending his season. ... Colts DT Eric Foster, who dislocated his right ankle in a gruesome scene during Monday night's loss at Tampa, was scheduled to return to Indianapolis on Thursday afternoon, two days after undergoing season-ending surgery in Tampa.
