How Colts May Approach Tight End After Jelani Woods Injury

The Indianapolis Colts must pivot for their tight end room with the news of Jelani Woods' injury requiring surgery.

Indianapolis Colts tight end Jelani Woods (80) makes a catch during Colts Camp at Grand Park on Sunday, August. 4, 2024, in Westfield Ind. / Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Indianapolis Colts tight end position has been one of the most ambiguous on the roster going into the 2024 regular season. However, there will be one less player in the mix for a while. Joel Erickson of the Indy Star reported that Jelani Woods will need surgery after a toe injury sustained against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday.

Jelani Woods is expected to undergo surgery on his toe, according to a source.

— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) August 20, 2024

Woods wasn't having an effective 2024 training camp or preseason, and now it appears he will have to sit out for multiple games to rehab from surgery. Two months ago this would have been devastating for Indianapolis, but after Woods' struggles, the Colts might not have to change too much.

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One of the hardest decisions was if Indianapolis decided to cut from five prominent tight ends on the 53-man roster, to four. The top names now in contention (minus Woods) are Kylen Granson, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, and Will Mallory. Luckily for the Colts, quarterback Anthony Richardson likes to target his tight ends and head coach Shane Steichen can help them get open.

For Granson and Mallory, expect them to share snaps as the move tight ends, being placed in positions to utilize separation and quickness to get open for Richardson. Last year Granson led the charge for Indy's tight ends with 30 catches for 368 receiving yards. Mallory wasn't targeted as much but was impactful when given opportunities. This duo may pose a potent threat to a defense given how keen to separate Granson is and how sure-handed Mallory has been.

As for Alie-Cox and Ogletree, they are more in-line blockers who pose a serious red zone threat as pass-catchers. Last season, Alie-Cox led all Colts tight ends with three touchdowns, and Ogletree was a great blocker in the running game. Expect a lot of play-action targets and blocking assignments for these two.

The Bottom Line

While it's a sad headline to read that Woods has to undergo surgery and possibly miss multiple games, it won't hold back Indy's offensive attack much. Woods wasn't impressive up to this point in training camp or the preseason and was being outplayed by the other four tight ends.

Indy wants Woods' insane athletic potential to become a reality, but if that is to happen, they have to wait a bit longer and possibly work with the other quad of tight ends available on the roster. We'll see what happens as the regular season opener against the Houston Texans is just around the corner.

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