ANDERSON, Ind. —
A game of quarterback musical chairs played out Monday in the AFC South.
Veteran Matt Hasselbeck was cut in the early evening by the Tennessee Titans, and within hours reports surfaced linking the former division rival to the Indianapolis Colts.
The team made no official announcement Monday night, but a deal was expected to be reached sometime this morning.
The 37-year-old Hasselbeck has thrown for 34,517 yards and 201 touchdowns in 14 NFL seasons. He spent 10 years with the Seattle Seahawks, leading the franchise to its only Super Bowl appearance following the 2005 season. Hasselbeck was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round out of Boston College in 1998 and was traded to Seattle two years later.
He spent the past two seasons with the Titans, throwing for 3,571 yards with 18 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 2011. Last year, Hasselbeck made just five starts in relief of Jake Locker and threw for 1,367 yards with seven touchdowns and five picks.
He’ll back up second-year quarterback Andrew Luck in Indianapolis, providing another set of veteran eyes on the gameday sideline.
The Colts lost last year’s back-up, Drew Stanton, to the Arizona Cardinals early in free agency and also have second-year quarterback Chandler Harnish on the roster.
The deal comes while many fans and media continue to attempt to decipher Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay’s latest Twitter mystery. Irsay tweeted late Saturday night that the team was working on a “whopper” of a deal and later revealed the target was a wide receiver.
Momentum appeared to stall early Sunday morning, and there’s been no announcement of a trade or free-agent signing. It’s unclear whether the Hasselbeck deal means the end for the wide receiver search.
The Colts could target a wide receiver with the No. 24 overall pick in next month’s draft. The team now has six draft picks overall.
Indianapolis received a seventh-rounder — No. 254, the last overall selection — as a compensatory pick during the annual owners’ meeting in Phoenix on Monday.
The compensatory addition means the Colts will select “Mr. Irrelevant” for the second straight year.
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Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck throws under pressure from Indianapolis Colts defensive ends Dwight Freeney, left, and Robert Mathis, far right, during the third quarter in Indianapolis in 2011. AJ Mast / The Associated Press
Discussion
Reports: Colts to sign Hasselbeck
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Cottrell, Buck win regional titles
It didn’t take long for Pendleton Heights junior Kiawna Cottrell to stake her claim to a spot in the girls track state finals at Tuesday night’s North Central Regional.
On her first attempt at the long jump, the Arabians met the state standard of 17 feet, 4 inches.
“That started the night out right,” Pendleton Heights coach Melissa Hagerman said.
It only got better from there. -
Eagles soar into sectional final
On a warm and windy Tuesday evening, four teams hit the field at Frankton with a chance to play for the Sectional 40 softball championship. The host Frankton Eagles grabbed the first spot in the final with a dominating 24-0 win over Winchester.
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PH’s 3 homers lift softball team
Pendleton Heights hit a trio of home runs and Arabians starting pitcher Bailey Benefiel came within two outs of a no-hitter in a softball sectional semifinal here Tuesday evening.
The PH clouts came from Sarah Dixon, Elizabeth Sigler and Jordan Dean, and they covered everything but a grand slam as the Arabians bounced New Castle 15-2. PH will play in today’s championship game at 7:30 p.m., against Greenfield-Central. -
Ken de la Bastide: Stellar field for Little 500
Since returning to Indiana in 1973 there have been very few Pay Less Little 500 races that I’ve missed in 50 years, but the field for the 65th running on Saturday can only be described as stellar.
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Harter wins Red Haven Award
Matt Harter’s hours aren’t filled with longing and dreaming. They are filled with action and accomplishment.
The Anderson High School senior’s activities in and out of the competitive arenas, earned him the 2013 Red Haven Award during Tuesday’s Anderson Noon Exchange Club meeting at The Edge. -
PH’s run ends at regional
Pendleton Heights faced two powerful opponents Tuesday in the girls tennis regional at Marion — 16th-ranked Delta (21-2) and winds gusting to 30 mph.
The combination was too much to overcome in a 5-0 loss that ended the most successful season in school history. -
Cowan bounces Broncos in Class A opener
A pitching change helped propel Cowan past Daleville in the softball sectional at Liberty Christian on Tuesday.
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Experienced Heat, upstart Pacers ready to go
Dwyane Wade’s rookie season ended with a playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers. The next year, the Miami Heat were headed to the Eastern Conference finals and certain that an NBA championship was in their sights.
That’s when Wade learned a valuable lesson: Never take playoff chances for granted. -
Arabians follow Vellinga's lead
If the student-athletes who took the field in Monday night’s sectional softball action needed a bit of motivation, they could have looked to pitcher’s circle at Legends Field where Andrea Vellinga stood and threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Pendleton Heights battled Richmond in the opening game, as the Arabians ran past the Red Devils 10-0 in five innings. Game 2 featured Anderson and New Castle, with the Indians getting trounced 10-1. -
Bulldogs outslug Raiders in Class 2A thriller
Shenandoah sent 24 batters to the plate and scored nine runs in the final three innings of its Class 2A softball sectional opener Monday at Frankton.
And the Raiders (15-12) were the losing team.
Lapel (10-13) failed to reach base in 13 straight at-bats from the end of the second inning to start of the seventh and rallied from deficits in each of the final two innings to beat Shenandoah 12-11 in an eight-inning postseason classic. - More Sports Headlines
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