Colts activate WR T.Y. Hilton from IR

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton is eligible to make his return to the field on Sunday vs. the Houston Texans after he was activated from the Colts' injured reserve on Saturday.

Hilton, 31, underwent neck surgery before the season and sat out the Colts' first five games. While Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard called it a "minimally invasive procedure," the injury was severe enough to make Hilton consider retirement.

"The first two days when I got home, I almost hung it up," Hilton told reporters, via Pro Football Talk. "I can’t even lie. I didn’t pretty much tell nobody but the people close to me. I was close to hanging it up. I talked to Andrew [Luck], that was probably the wrong thing to do. . . . He wanted me to be good with it, get back healthy, don’t rush it, take your time." 

Luck, 32, was drafted by the Colts in the same year as Hilton and shocked the football world by retiring ahead of the 2019 season due to injuries.

Hilton is the third in Colts franchise history with 9,360 receiving yards, trailing only Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.

In Hilton's absence, Indianapolis has started the 2021 season with a 1-4 record. Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, who was acquired by the Colts in a March trade, threw for 1,322 yards in the first five games with seven touchdowns and one interception.