T.Y. Hilton 'Still in the Mix' for Colts to Sign to Contract, Says GM Chris Ballard

As teams continue to fill out their rosters at the start of training camp, the Indianapolis Colts are keeping an eye on one of their former players to potentially boost their wide receiver room.

General manager Chris Ballard told reporters Tuesday that T.Y. Hilton is "still in the mix" for the Colts to sign.

The receiver market got a little lighter Tuesday when ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Julio Jones was signing a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Even though the Colts were rumored to be interested in Jones at times during the offseason, Ballard said they did not have "any discussions" about the seven-time Pro Bowler before he agreed to a deal with the Bucs.

Hilton has played his entire career in Indianapolis since being selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft. The 32-year-old ranks third in franchise history with 9,691 receiving yards and is tied for third with 631 receptions.

He averaged 1,206 receiving yards per season in a six-year span from 2013 to '18. Injuries have started to become an issue for Hilton in recent years. After missing four games in his first seven seasons combined, he has missed 14 over the past three seasons combined.

Despite missing seven games in 2021, Hilton finished tied for third on the team in receiving touchdowns (three) and fourth in receiving yards (331).

The Colts' receiver depth chart currently features Michael Pittman Jr., Parris Campbell and rookie Alec Pierce in the top three spots. Hilton's familiarity with head coach Frank Reich's system could make him an appealing option if the team wants to add more depth at the position during training camp to see what he has to offer.