Colts special teams coordinator Brian Mason set to coach from the booth after knee ligament tears

Indianapolis Colts special teams coordinator Brian Mason will coach the rest of the preseason from a booth upstairs rather than working from the sideline, according to a report published Monday.

Mason suffered torn ligaments in his knee during a sideline collision during the Colts’ first preseason game. In the weeks since, he has been working through practices using a large brace, but the injury has changed how the staff can place him on the field during live action.

Head coach Shane Steichen said, per the report, that the team is passing on surgery for now. The approach keeps Mason attached to the job’s tactical responsibilities while limiting the strain that would come from being on his feet and moving along the sideline during games.

In the immediate term, the Colts plan to have Mason direct special-teams decision-making remotely for their remaining two preseason games this summer. The move is designed to preserve continuity in preparation and game-day coverage responsibilities, even as the coordinator cannot physically operate in the same way as usual.

Special teams coordinators typically manage fast-moving, high-communication phases of the game, including punt and kickoff strategy, coverage assignments, returner planning, and late-game sequence decisions. Coaching from a booth can still allow a coordinator to monitor personnel groupings, identify tactical matchups, and communicate adjustments, but it changes the proximity and rhythm of sideline coaching.

The Colts’ ability to execute those game plans will depend in part on how well the rest of the special teams staff bridges the sideline gap for Mason. That likely includes assistants and position coaches who can implement coaching cues directly with players on the field while Mason remains in a support role from above.

What to watch next is how the Colts’ special teams unit looks across the next two preseason games, particularly the effectiveness of coverage and discipline in live moments, since the staff’s ability to translate Mason’s decisions to the field will be tested even as he continues recovery.