Colts practice notebook: Tanor Bortolini returns as hamstring and ribs concerns keep key players sidelined

The Indianapolis Colts’ practice availability took a turn in small but meaningful ways this week. In the team’s latest practice notebook, center Tanor Bortolini returned to practice after a recent absence, a development that can help stabilize the Colts’ interior work as they move through the weekly grind of an NFL season.

Bortolini’s return comes with other availability questions lingering. Linebacker Jaylon Carlies remained out of practice for a second consecutive day due to a ribs issue. Wide receiver Ashton Dulin also missed Thursday’s session as he continues to work through a hamstring problem, keeping him from participating alongside teammates as the reps continue to matter for timing and unit cohesion.

Defensive end Arden Key added another layer to the day’s injury picture. Key did not practice, and the Colts’ head coach, Shane Steichen, indicated the hamstring injury will cause Key to miss “some time.” The phrasing matters because it suggests the team is treating the issue as more than a brief inconvenience, likely affecting the defensive front’s rotation and depth planning for upcoming practices.

With Carlies and Dulin both out for a second straight day, the Colts will have to manage workload and reps for the next wave of players expected to take on expanded roles. In the NFL, absences like these often ripple across position groups, shifting scout-team looks and accelerating opportunity for teammates who can handle the mental and physical demands without extended practice continuity.

For Bortolini, returning to practice does not automatically mean full participation in every team element or that the prior concern has been fully resolved. Still, a return is the kind of incremental availability teams watch closely because it can influence how coaches structure the early portions of practice, including line communication and coordination on run fits and pass protection responsibilities.

The Colts’ staff will also be weighing how the “some time” language affects decisions around Key’s work. When coaches describe an injury with that kind of timeline, it usually affects how quickly a player can be eased back into full situational football. That, in turn, can change how long the defensive end spot is staffed by the next men up and how the front is balanced against different offensive looks.

As the Colts proceed into the next portion of the week, the main thing to watch is whether practice participation expands for Carlies and Dulin and how quickly Key progresses beyond the initial stage of rehabilitation. Even without new details on severity, repeated days out versus returning to practice is often the earliest indicator teams have for how close players might be to returning to full team work.