ANDERSON, Ind. -- The Indianapolis Colts could be without their four-time Pro Bowl center in the regular-season opener.
Jeff Saturday, the Colts' starting center, may miss two-to-six weeks rehabilitating after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday, Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star is reporting Colts Owner and Chief Executive Officer Jim Irsay as saying.
Saturday had surgery to remove “a loose body,” the team announced Tuesday.
“With scopes you never know,'' Irsay told reporters following a 2010 Training Camp practice at Anderson University Wednesday morning.
"We've seen guys come back in two weeks, you see some guys come back in six weeks. You're hoping it's the shorter side of the scale.
“It just depends on the guy, how quick he can rebound.''
If Saturday is out six weeks, he will miss the Colts' regular-season opener on September 12 against the Texans in Houston.
Saturday, a Pro Bowl selection in 2005-2007 and 2009, is crucial to the Colts' offense not only as one of the best blocking linemen on the team, but as the player with the responsibility of handling line calls at the line of scrimmage. That's particularly important with the Colts, where quarterback Peyton Manning often changes plays at the line of scrimmage in the team's no-huddle offense.
With Saturday out, third-year veterans Jamey Richard and Mike Pollak become options at the center position. Pollak played the position throughout his college career at Arizona State and Richard started four games for Saturday as a rookie in 2008.
Rookie Jacques McClendon also has worked at center, but he has not practice this week because of an injury the team has not yet identified.
“I feel like going back to center, I'm comfortable there, because I played my college career there,” Pollak said. “But I also feel like I have guard down. I've been there since I've been here, and I feel like I finally have gotten comfortable in that position, too. . . .
“It's been different because I haven't really worked there since college, but it's like riding a bike to me.”
Said Richard, “We do a good job preparing for it, with a lot of guys playing multiple spots. It's a good opportunity for guys to get better, to play different spots. It helps us get ready for situations like this.”
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