Indianapolis Colts sign free agent WR Marcus Thigpen

The Indianapolis Colts have today announced the signing of free agent wide receiver Marcus Thigpen, releasing quarterback Josh Johnson ahead of Sunday night game against the Patriots.

The arsenal of receivers for Andrew Luck (or Matt Hasselbeck) to toss to has expanded with the free agent signing of wideout Marcus Thigpen.

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After bouncing around NFL teams, Thigpen landed a stint with the Buffalo Bills, his most recent experience, in November of last season due to positional needs related to injuries. However, in October of this season, he was released due to volume of players at the position and left to free agency.

Enter, the Indianapolis Colts.

Things haven’t exactly been peachy keen for the Colts this season, especially in the quarterback position. Josh Johnson joined the team for the last couple of weeks in the absence of Andrew Luck and to backup the backup Matt Hasselbeck. Now with Luck reportedly back in the fold ahead of their Sunday night clash with the New England Patriots, Johnson is released and Thigpen is picked up.

There’s not a lot of clarification on what Thigpen will offer to the Colts that they don’t already have – Griff Whalen has been just fine in his punt return role, and though the receiving core hasn’t been excellent to say the least the contingency they have is still better than what Thigpen adds by signing on. It’s very likely that Thigpen is here as just a return option, but we will see.

Aug 20, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns inside linebacker Chris Kirksey (58), Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marcus Thigpen (11) , Cleveland Browns defensive end Armonty Bryant (95) at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

One positive, though, is bringing in another Indiana Hoosier to the team. Thigpen played into five seasons in Bloomington at Indiana University before going through the 2009 NFL Draft without being selected. Thigpen bounced in and out of the NFL the first couple of years on practice squads here and there, but has yet to land a full-time slot with a team for a full year.

The Indianapolis Colts take on the New England Patriots Sunday night with kickoff scheduled for 8:30 pm ET at Lucas Oil Stadium.

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