Both the Indianapolis Colts and Vontae Davis can now move on to fresh starts after an unceremonious ending to the cornerback’s tenure in Indy.
The unceremonious relationship between the Indianapolis Colts and cornerback Vontae Davis has come to an end. Per multiple sources, the Colts waived Davis Thursday after he announced he was going to undergo season-ending surgery on his groin. The move comes shortly after Davis told the media Wednesday that he felt disrespected at the fact he was benched last Sunday. Head coach Chuck Pagano maintains it was due to performance and not because of injury.
In the 2017 season, Davis appeared in five games starting all of them. He recorded two pass deflections and 16 tackles.
After being draft in the first round with the No. 25 overall pick, Davis began his career with the Miami Dolphins in 2009. He was traded to Indianapolis in August of 2012. He made Pro Bowls in 2014 and 2015. For his career, Davis has recorded 22 interceptions and 356 total tackles in nine years of play. In addition, he has recorded 106 pass deflections, proving that he has the capacity to be a ballhawk.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
What’s next for Davis? First, he has to heal from surgery and then teams can begin to get a gauge of where he is at health and performance-wise. Especially in a passing league, a player like Davis (provided he is healthy) could be a tremendous asset. At this point in the season, teams whose secondaries are ranked at the bottom of the league are going to stay there. That means teams like Detroit, New Orleans, and Pittsburgh should at least give him a look.
If he were to get signed anywhere, I would expect it to be a short-term deal. He is 29 and in the prime of his career, but he does have some miles on him. Teams may be hesitant to sign him to anything long-term right away until they see how he bounces back from his injury. There are teams in desperate need of secondary help, and he could be of use even if he is not 100 percent.
In the meantime, he will just have to rehab and rest. Things ended badly in Indianapolis and now he has to turn the page and focus on getting healthy and getting back in football shape. If there is one positive to his having surgery it is the fact that he did not suffer a more serious injury such as one to his ACL.
Next: NFL 2017: 20 Bold predictions for Week 10
He is certainly worth taking a flyer on. Maybe he will be able to resurrect his career and reestablish himself as one of the top corners in the game. Teams know he can play at a high level, he just has to get back there.