National Football League

Colts' Ballard suffers leg injury; another season in jeopardy?

Published Jul. 25, 2014 6:11 p.m. ET

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ANDERSON, Ind. -- Colts running back Vick Ballard was carted off the field Friday with a lower left leg injury.

Team doctors are waiting for MRI results to confirm the diagnosis.

FOX Sports 1 NFL Insider Mike Garafolo confirmed that the initial diagnosis is a torn Achilles tendon for Ballard.

Ballard was injured on a pass play during Indy's afternoon practice. After initially getting up and limping, Ballard was taken to the locker room on a golf cart. The Colts haven't even practiced in full pads yet and he wasn't hit on the play.

Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay was disappointed to see it happen shortly after he arrived at Anderson University for the second full day of training camp.

"When you see someone like Vick Ballard go down who's worked so hard to get back, it's tough, but it happens," he said. "As soon as you get to camp, those things happen. He's still young and he's got a full career ahead of him so we have to do an MRI and see exactly what it is and then go from there."

If Ballard has a torn Achilles it would likely end his season again. Last year, he tore the ACL in his right knee during a September practice and missed the final 15 games.

The Colts came to camp with three veteran running backs, who were expected to compete for playing time: Ballard, Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson.

Ballard ran for 814 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie in 2012, then had 13 carries for 63 yards in last year's season opener before the knee injury.

Richardson, the No. 3 overall choice in 2012, struggled last year after being traded to the Colts in September. He sat out the afternoon practice for "precautionary" reasons, but did stay after practice to catch balls from the JUGS machine.

Bradshaw, who owns two Super Bowl rings, missed all but three games in 2013 after having neck surgery.