Polian Speaks, Week 1 (II): Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian on S Bob Sanders, OG Ryan Lilja

Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian (AP Photo)

Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser takes a look at the comments Monday night of Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian on his weekly radio show the day after a 14-12 victory over Jacksonville Sunday afternoon (second of two parts; Part one HERE) . . .

Indianapolis Colts President Bill Polian said he doesn't know exactly when S Bob Sanders will return. But he said he believes it will be soon.

And he's certain it will be worth the wait.

Sanders, the 2007 Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year and a Pro Bowl selection in 2005 and 2007, spent the preseason on the Physically Unable to Perform list and missed the Colts' regular-season opening, 14-12 victory over Jacksonville Sunday. Injuries have been a huge story in Sanders' career. He missed 10 games last season and 12 last in 2006 with knee injuries, and a caller to Polian's weekly radio show asked if the team had tired of Sanders not being available.

"I think Bob is very close to getting back," Polian said on his weekly radio show on 97.1 Hank FM. "I'm not going to put a timetable on it, then if for some reason he doesn't make it, it's considered that we need to have a Watergate investigation or something like that. I'm not going to do that. The bottom line is he's making great progress and he's working very hard at it."

Polian also said, "Let me say this: With respect to all injuries, no player wants to be hurt. No player enjoys being out. No player enjoys being hurt. . . . Many, quite frankly, leave the game earlier than perhaps they should, because they do not want to go through the pain and suffering both physical and mental that comes with injury. For fans to be frustrated because the player's not there is to some degree understandable, but it's not intellectually correct. The player is suffering a hell of a lot more than you are – pardon my French – and he wants to be out there way more than you want him out there.

"The next question becomes, 'If Bob Sanders were only to play 12 games a year for however many years he has left in his career, would you take that?' I'd bet 90 percent of folks who come to Lucas Oil Stadium who call themselves Colts fans would take that. He is an impact player. He's a guy who changes games. He's a guy who energizes everybody around him."

Polian said injuries are part of the the game for hard-hitting safeties such as Sanders and Pittsburgh Steelers S Troy Polamalu.

"The reason these guys get hurt is because they are so explosive," Polian said. "They give so much of their bodies. They play so hard. They are susceptible to injury. . . . You have to anticipate they're going to be injured at some point in time. I think the overwhelming majority of Colts fans would take 12 or 13 games a year from Bob Sanders for the rest of his career. Hopefully, there will be 16, but he'll be back soon. We'll welcome him back. No one wants him back more than we do in this building, and no one wants to come any more than Bob Sanders and it won't be long."

* On the return of OG Ryan Lilja, who missed last season with a knee injury: "He went through a long, hard climb – a lot of difficulty in diagnosing his original injury, two surgeries, long difficult rehab from the surgeries. We believe Ryan Lilja could be and can be and will be a very good player. He was before he got hurt. We stayed with him and he more importantly stayed with it. He made it back and that's a heartwarming story. I realize fans get frustrated, but nobody wants to be back more than these players and no one enjoys being hurt less than the players."

* On WR Pierre Garcon moving into a starting role opposite Reggie Wayne: "With Pierre Garcon in there now starting at the other wideout spot we're going to have two big, physical guys out there. Pierre got into it pretty good with (Jaguars cornerback Rasheen) Mathis Sunday, which is the first time that has happened in quite a while. He's only going to get better in the running game. He has the home-run speed that we haven't had really since Marvin (Harrison) was at his peak. Pierre has that kind of all-the-way speed. He came very close to breaking one Sunday for a big gainer on a slant rout. I think those two guys are going to make a great combination."

* On rookie CB Jerraud Powers' first NFL start Sunday: Jerraud Powers looked like he had been in the league for about 10 years. He handled himself well, but that's the way he has been since Day One. He's a little like (Colts safety) Antoine Bethea. There's a saying about rookies. People ask, 'Is the game too big for them?' In the case of Antoine and Jerraud, the game never has been too big for them. They have been phenomenal. He looked very, very at home and comfortable. If he had made the interception on that play down by the goal line, it would have been the play of the day."

*** READ COFFEE WITH THE COLTS, Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser's next-morning look at Colts-Jaguars, HERE. ***

*** COLTS REGULAR-SEASON PRIMER, VOL. 1: READ INDY FOOTBALL REPORT EDITOR JOHN OEHSER'S PREVIEW OF JAGUARS-COLTS HERE.

*** WHAT DO THE COLTS HAVE TO DO TO WIN THE AFC SOUTH? READ IFR EDITOR JOHN OEHSER'S FIVE KEYS HERE . . .

RECENT COLTS NEWS

* Colts S Bob Sanders will play sooner rather than later

* Colts rookie Jerraud Powers to start at cornerback against Jacksonville

* Indianapolis Colts S Bob Sanders won't play in opener

* WR Anthony Gonzalez out 2-to-6 weeks

MAGNIFICENT SEVENS: WEEKLY COLTS THOUGHTS . . .

Magnificent Seven I: Seven training camp thoughts and observations

Magnificent Seven II: On the Colts' defensive tackle position and WR Reggie Wayne

Magnificent Seven III: On the Colts' running backs and offensive line