For a player like Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, there are some that might not believe his talent always matches his numbers. Current offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni doesn’t share that sentiment, though.
Before taking the job as the offensive coordinator under the command of head coach Frank Reich ahead of the 2018 season, Sirianni already knew what to expect from Hilton given the impression Ghost left back in 2016.
“Gosh, I remember coming up here in 2016 (with the Chargers) and T.Y. putting on a show,” Sirianni told Colts.com. “I remember thinking Jason Verrett for the Chargers was one of the best corners I’ve ever seen and T.Y. made them look foolish. … So I had high expectations.”
If research serves correct, Hilton certainly went off that game. He finished catching eight of 11 targets for 174 yards and a touchdown.
Hilton continued to show that—despite his low touchdown totals—he’s still one of the best wide receivers in the league. He struggled with injuries all season, but he fought through them en route to another strong year.
Among those injuries were two sprains on the same ankle (high and low). That didn’t stop Hilton, however, as he averaged 120 receiving yards per game from Week 11–17.
“But it didn’t surprise me,” Sirianni said. “T.Y. playing through those injuries — again, like I said, he’s had a long career of a lot of success — and I guess I didn’t doubt him on anything, and he really proved that to me last year that he’s gonna fight through things.”
The 29-year-old wide receiver is still giving results as consistently as ever. With a new offense under Reich and Andrew Luck back, Hilton should continue to provide the Colts with an electric option atop the wide receiver depth chart.
