It was an interesting week to say the least for the Indianapolis Colts. While the Colts face an issue on Peyton Manning’s health heading into week 3 of the preseason, their biggest concern is whether or not he will be ready for week 1 of the regular season. It won’t surprise many that the bulk of the news from this week comes from one specific recent acquisition that the Colts made at the quarterback position. Let’s get right into the week in review for the Colts for August 22nd.

Colts Sign Veteran Quarterback Kerry Collins

This is the biggest news of the week by far, and a story that has raised quite a few questions about the serious possibility of Peyton Manning missing the start of the regular season. Jim Irsay stated that the team was looking at the potential of signing a veteran quarterback to back up Peyton Manning, and he did just that with the signing of Collins. This leaves the future of Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky up in the air, as it is unlikely that the team keeps four quarterbacks. This situation is definitely one to keep your eye on as we get closer to the kickoff of week 1.

Reggie Wayne Defends Curtis Painter

One person who had a few words about the signing of Kerry Collins was Reggie Wayne. The Colts number 1 receiver publicly stated that he wouldn’t let Collins come in and push Painter around. He apparently thought Painter was doing just fine, and was capable of leading the team if Peyton was out. It is a very good sign to see Wayne standing up for Painter though, and his teammates in general, as this is something that you always love to see on any professional sports team.

Austin Collie and Four Other Players Tryout New Helmets

More than anything, this is just an interesting story out of Colts camp. Austin Collie has struggled with concussions over the past two seasons, and is working with Bill Simpson, who is a Hall of Fame motor sports safety pioneer. They have been working with a new carbon fiber Kevlar helmet which will give players better support. This helmet weighs only two pounds (compared to five or seven pounds for most helmets), and has an incredible amount of padding. The helmet was specifically brought in for Collie, but players like Dwight Freeney, Dallas Clark, Jeff Saturday, and Ryan Diem have all shown interest in trying out the new helmet. This helmet has been in design since 2009, and is approved by the NFL for use.