Robert Mathislikely won't hit his goal of being back on the field by Week 1.
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said Wednesday he expects the linebacker to return from his Achilles tendon tear in "early October or late September."
"It's hard to say," Irsay said, per the Indy Star. "We want to make sure the doctors feel he's ready. And that re-injuring and that sort of thing is not going to be a problem. We've talked about kind of October, roughly. Can he come back quicker than that? Knowing Robert, anything is possible. I really just don't think he's going to be ready for the Buffalo game at the start of the season."
The Colts' all-time sacks leader had vowed to be ready for the start of the season after missing all of 2014. The 34-year-old pass rusher hasn't played a football game in 19 months and counting.
Mathis began training camp on the active/PUP list.
It's fair to wonder what impact the veteran will have once he finally sees the field. Pass rushers decline at a quick rate, especially after an Achilles injury, which can sap burst.
Last time we saw him on the field in 2013, Mathis piled up 19.5 sacks. Indy could certainly use that sort of rusher on a milquetoast defense under pressure to improve in 2015.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast features Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo sharing his thoughts on the upcoming season.
