Indianapolis Colts defensive end Samson Ebukam tore his Achilles during a training camp practice on Sunday, head coach Shane Steichen said on Tuesday.
Ebukam, who played in all 17 games and led the Colts with a career-high 9.5 sacks in 2023, is expected to miss the upcoming season.
Ebukam also set career highs with 57 tackles (10 for loss) and 17 quarterback hits for Indianapolis last year.
The 29-year-old was entering his eighth NFL season and second with Indianapolis, having previously played with the Los Angeles Rams (2017-2020) and San Francisco 49ers (2021-2022).
Selected in the fourth round by Los Angeles in 2017, Ebukam has tallied 281 tackles, 33 sacks and 69 quarterback hits over 113 games (78 starts).
Ebukam also has 11 forced fumbles and five career fumble recoveries, including one for a touchdown. He returned his lone career interception 25 yards for a touchdown in 2018.
The Colts will rely on 2024 first-round pick Laiatu Latu and Tyquan Lewis, who is entering his seventh season, to fill Ebukam’s void on the defensive line.
Latu, 23, recorded 49 tackles (21.5 for loss) and 13 sacks last season for UCLA. His 1.8 tackles for loss per game in 2023 led Division I.
Lewis, 29, had a career-high 25 tackles and matched his career best with four sacks over 17 games (0 starts) for Indianapolis last year.
–Field Level Media
