The Indianapolis Colts have elevated Canadian tight end Nikola Kalinic from the practice squad ahead of their game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.
The 25-year-old has dressed for the team’s past two games, seeing the field for 24 snaps on offence and 15 snaps on special teams. He was credited as a starter this past week when the Colts lost to the Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 17-16.
Kalinic was selected in the second round of the 2019 CFL Draft out of York University. He dressed for 30 games over two seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and recorded 23 receptions for 192 yards and two touchdowns, helping lead the team to back-to-back Grey Cup appearances.
The six-foot-four, 255-pounder signed with the Colts in January after working out with a number of teams including the Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and New York Giants. He was waived at the conclusion of training camp before being added to the practice roster the following day.
At the 2019 CFL Combine, Kalinic recorded a 4.79-second 40-yard dash, 4.44-second shuttle, 7.44-second three-cone, 30.5-inch vertical, nine-foot, four-and-three-eights-inch broad jump, and 10 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.
The Colts are in the midst of a whirlwind season in which offensive coordinator Marcus Brady and head coach Frank Reich have both been fired. The club currently sits second in the AFC South with a record of 4-6-1.
