The Colts felt good enough about guard Donald Thomas’s future to sign him to a four-year, $14 million contract before the 2013 season, but they’ve gotten very little return on that investment.
Thomas tore his quadriceps two games into the 2013 season and missed the rest of the year before returning to camp the next year just long enough to tear his quad again. Thomas missed all of last season as well, leaving him with little to show for his time with the Colts.
He’ll get a chance to change that now that the team has activated him from the physically unable to perform list. With a little over a week left before the cut to 53 players, Thomas is going to have to show the Colts he’s capable of helping them pretty quickly.
Thomas is due $3.5 million in base salary this season and it becomes guaranteed if he’s on the roster at the start of the regular season. While that salary looks like a lot for a player who has played as little as Thomas, the Colts haven’t been thrilled with the play of their line and that could allow him to stick around.