Colts to start quarterback Carson Wentz against Titans, per reports

The Indianapolis Colts plan to start quarterback Carson Wentz against the Tennessee Titans today, according to reports from The NFL Network and ESPN, despite suffering sprains in both ankles last week against the Los Angeles Rams. 

Wentz did not practice until Friday, when he was a limited participant, taking drops in the pocket, handing off to running backs and making throws during the period of practice that's open to the media. Coach Frank Reich said the team would need the additional 48 hours to evaluate Wentz and that he would be a game-time decision.

"He’s done a very good job, our training staff has been unbelievable during the week to make whatever progress we have made, and now we’ll just have to see, these last 48 hours, how he does,” Reich said Friday.

Based on the way Wentz was moving around early in the week, Reich admitted Friday he was surprised that playing Sunday was a possibility.

“Dude is one of the toughest guys that I’ve ever met, and I know that he’s fighting his hardest,” wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. said Friday. “He looked good today.”

The Colts have a plan in place if Wentz is ineffective but have not said whether they’ll start veteran Brett Hundley or second-year quarterback Jacob Eason, who threw a game-sealing interception in relief of Wentz against the Rams last week.

A Google search turned up one other quarterback with a double ankle sprain: Peyton Manning in 2013. Manning's passer rating dropped more than 20 points (118.4 to 95.3), was sacked far more often (3 per game vs. .9), threw more interceptions (2 per game vs. .4) and completed a lower percentage of his passes (.634 vs. .691) in the two weeks he played after the double ankle sprain.

That is, of course, the smallest of sample sizes 

Follow IndyStar Deputy Sports Editor Nat Newell on Twitter: @NatJNewell.