Colts' Saturday passes on surgery

Colts’ center plans to use rehab to return to starting lineup

By Tom James

INDIANAPOLIS — Despite suffering a medial collateral ligament tear in his right knee, Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday is not planning on undergoing surgery any time soon.

The three-time Pro Bowl selection, who was hurt in the Colts’ preseason loss to Buffalo on Aug. 24, has opted instead to continue his rehab work amid hopes for a relatively quick return to the starting lineup.

“I feel good. I’m just working day-to-day, rehabbing up and trying to get back as quickly as possible,” Saturday said before the start of Thursday’s practice session. “I’m doing the best I can to tough it out, that’s for sure. It’s a day-to-day thing, just working every day at rehab to get it back strong and see what we can do with it.”

Saturday said that it was a group decision not to perform surgery on his knee.

“I let [the team trainers and doctors] decide. All you can do is your rehab and progress the way they want you to progress. When it’s time to go, I’ll be ready to go,” he said. “We are at the point where I’m letting it heal by itself. If anything were to happen, that can be an issue. But it’s not what we are going to do. I’m not going to get surgery. Unless something else happens to it, I’m going to stay with the way it is now.

”[Surgery] would have been something I would’ve had to do or already went and done. The doctors here decided, I have had another [medical] opinion as well, and all the doctors agreed that time heals it and there’s no reason to go and do something invasive unless it’s an absolute necessity. And that’s not what they felt like.”

He added that there is no timetable in place for his return.

“I feel better and everything is moving along. I’m in [the training room] twice a day doing rehab and I feel like I’m on a great program. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do to get ready,” Saturday said.

“I have no idea [when he will resume practicing]. You have a progression, obviously, that you have to go through to pass from the team’s perspective. Once you do that, it’s [head coach] Tony [Dungy’s] call and [team president] Bill [Polian’s] call [to say] ‘He looks good, he’s ready to play.’”

• With Saturday sidelined, a pair of rookies — Steve Justice and Jamey Richard —are in the running to start in his place in Sunday night’s season opener with the Chicago Bears.

While Justice started the Colts’ final preseason game against Cincinnati, Richard has been getting plenty of work in practice with starting quarterback Peyton Manning.

“You always have to be prepared to play,” Richard said earlier this week. “Whether you are going to play or not, you’ve got to be prepared. If they call on you at the last moment and you didn’t prepare for it, then you’re out of luck.”

Saturday has been working with both first-year players in position meetings and on the practice field.

“You have keys that you pick up on. I know just watching Jamey through practice and telling him just little technique things that he can pick up on. He’ll do fine. Everybody who goes in, we play well as a unit,” he said. “[Richard will] talk and do the job that he’s supposed to do. I think he’ll play a good football game for us.”

• Offensive line mix and match — Center is not the only offensive line position that is in flux at the present time.

With veteran Ryan Lilja (knee) on the Colts’ reserve/physically unable to perform list, which means that he will miss the team’s first five games (the first six weeks of the season), and former starter Jake Scott now with the Tennessee Titans, former offensive tackles Charlie Johnson and Daniel Federkeil will get the start at the right and left guard spots.

The question, though, is who goes where? On Wednesday, coach Tony Dungy said that Johnson would start at right guard and Federkeil would go at left guard. But that changed on Thursday, with Dungy saying that Johnson is the starter on the left side and Federkeil on the right.

• Captains — Manning and middle linebacker Gary Brackett were selected as offensive and defensive captains for the 2008 season. Special teams captains, meanwhile, will be selected on a game-by-game basis, with placekicker Adam Vinatieri handling those duties in the Chicago game.

• Injury report update — Seeing limited work in practice Thursday were rookie wide receiver Pierre Garcon (shoulder) and rookie defensive end Curtis Johnson (shoulder).

Sitting out were safety Bob Sanders (usual day off), rookie offensive guard Mike Pollak (knee) and Saturday.

Defensive tackle Tommie Harris (knee), defensive end Mark Anderson (thumb), tight end Desmond Clark (knee), defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek (calf), and offensive guard Terrence Metcalf (knee) all practiced for the Bears. Offensive tackle Chris Williams (back) is out for the Indianapolis game.