Indianapolis Colts running back Evan Hull lost his entire rookie season just eight snaps into his first campaign in the NFL.
The 2023 fifth-round pick tore his MCL during the first week of the regular season, and it turned out to be a much deeper wound than anticipated.
On top of tearing the MCL, Hull tore his meniscus. The multi-ligament injury proved to require a much longer recovery process, ending his rookie season immediately.
“It was a root tear, so it was a little different than your typical tear in the body, which would be more of a 6-8-week type of thing that we see typically,” Hull said via The Athletic. “So, that was an entirely different process because they needed to basically repair the meniscus and put it back to its root, so you need to stay off (your knee) a lot longer.”
Hull was fully cleared to participate a few weeks before OTAs arrived toward the end of June, giving him enough time to compete with Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson for the backup running back role.
Hull was an intriguing prospect for the Colts out of Northwestern, especially due to his abilities as a pass-catcher. That aspect of the game has caught the eye of offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter.
"He’s done a nice job coming in and kind of getting himself back going, getting himself back into the flow of things, getting the ball in his hands a little bit in the pass game, protection game," Cooter said.
Hull's true role in the offense won't be clear until training camp arrives, but he'll be right in the thick of the competition as he enters his second season.
For more Colts coverage, check out Kevin Hickey's work on Sporting News.
