Ahmad Bradshaw to Colts: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

Ahmad Bradshaw and the Indianapolis Colts are hoping the third year is the charm.

The Colts announced Wednesday that the injury-riddled running back agreed to terms to return to Indianapolis. Pro Football Talk tweeted that Bradshaw signed a one-year deal.

ESPN's Mike Wells spoke to Bradshaw when he visited the Colts last week, and the 29-year-old veteran indicated he was "healthy and ready to go if it works out."

Bradshaw, heading into his ninth NFL season, spent the last two seasons in Indianapolis after a six-year run with the Giants. He rushed for 425 yards and added 300 yards and six touchdowns as a receiver in 2014, putting him on his way to perhaps his best all-around season before he suffered an injury. A fractured fibula cost Bradshaw the final six regular-season games and the entirety of Indianapolis' playoff run.

In his first two seasons with the Colts, he played in just 13 games. Neck surgery held him to three games in 2013, and for a time, it appeared like it might cost him his career. Only once in his eight seasons has Bradshaw played all 16 games.

It was therefore appropriate to speculate if Bradshaw would be retired by now, but he evidently isn't giving up just yet.

Josh Wilson of Stampede Blue feels he is a savvy acquisition:

When he is fit enough to take the field, Bradshaw has been undeniably effective. He's rushed for fewer than 4.5 yards per carry in a season only one time in his career and holds a 4.6-yards-per-pop average.

Quarterback Andrew Luck was also able to coax pass-catching acumen out of Bradshaw that rarely showed up in New York. Had he been able to play all 16 games, he would have blitzed his career highs in every pass-catching category.

Pro Football Focus' grading system has rated Bradshaw an above-average back in each of the last five seasons. While neither an especially explosive nor powerful runner, perhaps the best word to describe his style is "effective."

The key here will be keeping Bradshaw healthy. The Colts probably won't be foisting as much responsibility on him as they did in past seasons. General manager Ryan Grigson's ill-fated trade for Trent Richardson didn't pan out, and the Colts could use a viable playmaker like Bradshaw to share time with aging veteran Frank Gore.

As long as Bradshaw's role sticks closer to occasional than every down, he should be able to produce for the Colts. Unlike many midseason signings, Bradshaw is a player who has great familiarity with Indy's offensive system and has thrived in it before, which bodes well for his latest Colts stint.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.