Colts Refute, And Confirm, Reports Of Ligament Damage For Freeney

After ESPN’s bombshell yesterday afternoon, the Indianapolis were quick to fan the flames in the wake of Adam Schefter’s report that the team’s most dominant defensive player might miss the Super Bowl. From Indysportsnation.com, the team’s reaction:

The Indianapolis Colts Sunday night refuted a report by ESPN that Dwight Freeney has a torn ligament and is doubtful for Super Bowl XLIV next week.

Team spokesman Craig Kelley told IndySportsNation.com Sunday night that the defensive end has a low “basketball” sprain of his left ankle, and has been rehabbing the ankle this weekend in Miami.

Kelley said that Freeney is still listed as questionable for next Sunday’s game against the Saints.

But of course, as Adam Schefter pointed out this morning, the “third degree, low basketball sprain” that the Colts have confirmed is, by definition, a case of a torn ligament. You say tomato, the Colts say potato, I guess. When asked about the prospects of playing without Freeney, Colts QB Peyton Manning had this to say:

All season long coach (Jim) Caldwell has talked about picking up the bayonet, someone’s got to step up, and if Dwight would not be able to go it would be tough, but somebody else will step up and we’ll feel confident in whoever that is," said Manning.

So will someone else have to pick up the bayonet in Freeney’s absence? Time will tell…