Malik Hooker's promising rookie season is over.
The Colts safety suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his knee in Indianapolis' loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Hooker tweeted about his injury and recovery process that lies ahead:
Hooker was having a great rookie season and was living up to the pre-draft hype and Ed Reed comparisons he garnered while ballhawking in Ohio State's secondary. He was a bright spot in an otherwise down season for the Colts, recording 22 tackles, four passes defenses and three interceptions in seven games. He'll spend the next six to 10 months rehabbing in an attempt to pick up his career where it left off on the Lucas Oil Field turf on Sunday.
Stepping into Hooker's place is former starter Darius Butler, a 31-year-old veteran who has played in Indianapolis since 2012. Butler has appeared in six games in 2017, recording 13 tackles and one pass defensed. Butler is a better replacement than say, an inexperienced player who might have been No. 52 on the final 53-man roster, but this loss remains a big one for a Colts team that was already struggling.
