Indianapolis started 5 rookies in a season opener for the first time since 1982 on Sunday afternoon, which is the first time since the franchise has been in Indiana. If you followed the team at all through the eighties and early nineties, you’ll find that statistic pretty impressive.
Granted, Braden Smith was in for the first play and limited to only three other snaps in the game but the youth movement is very real for the Colts, and Chris Ballard isn’t being shy about giving the rookies PT. We will examine how much each of the rookies played on Sunday and consider how much of an impact they played in the outcome of the game.