Spencer Ware released by Indianapolis Colts

Former Kansas City Chiefs running back Spencer Ware is going to be a free agent once again next week after being released by the Indianapolis Colts.

Veteran running back Spencer Ware has been sitting on the Physically Unable to Perform list for the Indianapolis Colts ever since he underwent ankle surgery in early August and was forced to miss the bulk of the preseason. Now the team is setting him free by releasing him from injured reserve, a move that reporter Adam Schefter says will allow him to become a free agent starting next week.

Ware originally joined the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks, but made his biggest splash in the league with the Kansas City Chiefs. Originally a sixth round pick with Seattle, the Seahawks released him before the regular season ever began in 2014 and the Chiefs responded by signing him to a reserve/futures deal after the season was over. Ware not only surprisingly made the team that year but proceeded to climb the depth chart to become a starting running back for Andy Reid‘s offense.

Unfortunately for Ware, the injury bug is nothing new and has kept him from maintaining any hold on a position once he’s earned it. The moment Ware went under was the same time that Kareem Hunt grabbed the spotlight in K.C. as a rookie in 2017 and went on to earn the rushing title that year.

Ware was allowed to leave this offseason and he signed with the Colts who are led by a familiar face in general manager Chris Ballard. The Colts, however, have a solid backfield led by Marlon Mack and there’s little room for Ware at this point. Now Ballard is giving Ware a chance to start over somewhere else.

Ware is a potential addition for the Chiefs if things move from bad to worse in their own backfield given the state of injuries to both Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy. For now the team is fine, but the presence of Ware as a free agent means that there’s someone available who already knows the playbook who could conceivably step in. That would also mean something would have to happen to either second-year pro Darrel Williams or rookie Darwin Thompson.

Ware rushed for 1,570 yards with the Chiefs over 38 games in 4 years—with one full season lost to injury in 2017. Ware had a total of 13 career touchdowns with the Chiefs.