The Colts have had a revolving door at quarterback over the last four seasons and that’s had a big impact on running back Nyheim Hines.
Hines caught 63 passes playing with Andrew Luck in 2018, but dropped to 44 after Luck’s retirement the next year. He was back up to 63 catches after Philip Rivers joined the team in 2020 and then back down to 40 catches with Carson Wentz last year.
It looks like he’s a good bet to continue that pattern in 2022. Colts offensive coordinator Marcus Brady noted Matt Ryan’s fondness for throwing to running backs on Wednesday and Ryan singled out Hines as a player he’s looking forward to playing with in his first season in Indianapolis.
“He’s got incredible work ethic, being around him,” Ryan said, via the team’s website. “He’s a serious guy. When it’s time to go, it’s time to go. I think he’s got really good speed, I think he’s got great hands, catches the ball effortlessly. I think he’s got ability to get in and out of cuts that is special. I think he’s going to be a nice tool for us to find ways to use this season. Really love him as a teammate, he’s been awesome to spend time with and fun to work with.”
The Colts still have some things to figure out at wide receiver, but it seems any configuration of their passing game will include a lot of room for Hines to make plays out of the backfield.