3. Evan Hull’s long return took him into the end zone.
Hull suffered a season-ending knee injury after just eight snaps in his rookie year. He returned to the field for the first time since Week 1 of 2023 on Sunday, and in the second quarter the running back plunged into the end zone and scored the Colts’ first touchdown of the 2024 preseason.
“It’s been a long road,” Hull said. “Honestly, I was a little emotional this morning when I called my wife and we prayed on the phone. It’s been a long road to get to this point where I can put the cleats back on, put my helmet on and walk out of the tunnel with the other guys. (It’s been) something I’ve been longing for since I got hurt. I’m so blessed to be in this position.”
Hull leaned on his confidence throughout his rehab and has been healthy since OTAs this spring. He finished Sunday with 16 yards on eight carries and a 15-yard pass and left the game encouraged by his performance.
“Just determined running, being able to drop forward, breaking tackles, stuff like that,” Hull said. “It’s a big part of my game. I’ve got to be able to get going with my left leg, run hard and get through some things.”
From the sidelines, Taylor liked what he saw from Hull, who is competing with Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson for spots behind the Colts’ RB1 in their rankings.
“He ran with grit,” Taylor said. “I talked to him about it – he ran with grit, he was very determined, he made some great plays. He scored – it’s always a good day when you get in the end zone. But I really liked how determined he was.”
