Colts Rookie Exits Early vs. 49ers

Tuimoloau has hardly played in his first professional season as he's stuck at the bottom of the depth chart behind the likes of Samson Ebukam, Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu, and Tyquan Lewis. The Colts have made Tuimoloau a healthy scratch multiple times.

A few weeks ago, when Lewis and Ebukam were recovering from injuries, Tuimoloau had an increased snap count. The rookie racked up 9 total tackles against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks over the past two weeks.

Drafted out of Ohio State, Colts fans had hoped that Chris Ballard had finally picked the right defensive end. Instead, after nearly one full season, Tuimoloau hasn't shown anything special to Colts fans. He's on track to finish with zero sacks on the year.

Still, the hope is that Tuimoloau's injury isn't serious so that he can finish out his rookie season. He looked fairly banged up while walking off the field. Because he doesn't play many defensive snaps, it wouldn't be shocking to see the Colts shut him down for the remainder of the game.

Tuimoloau had an incredible senior season at Ohio State, winning a national championship and recording 12.5 sacks. The 22-year-old hasn't had a chance to shine just yet, but with Ebukam and Paye on expiring contracts, he may get some more opportunities next season.

The more impactful injury is Bortolini, who's since been replaced by Danny Pinter at the heart of the offensive line. The Colts are now down to three backup offensive linemen, a less-than-ideal situation for a team looking to make a playoff push.

Indy lost starting tackles Braden Smith and Bernhard Raimann over the past two weeks, with Smith being placed on injured reserve due to a concussion and neck issue.

The Colts will look to mount a second-half comeback against San Francisco without Bortolini and Tuimoloau on the field.