The Indianapolis Colts traveled to Foxborough to face the New England Patriots in their first preseason game. The night ended with a 13-13 tie, but it also ended with special teams coordinator Brian Mason screaming in pain.

The incident took place during the final play of the game. Two players were locked up while blocking each other before they ran toward the sideline and slammed into Mason.

The special teams coordinator immediately fell to the ground, twisting and screaming in intense pain while holding his right knee. Medical personnel quickly attended to him before taking Mason to the locker room for further evaluation.

“He got rolled up right on the sideline that last play,” Colts head coach Shane Steichen revealed later. “So we’ll see. He’s getting evaluated for his knee right now.”

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According to reports, Mason traveled with the team back to Indianapolis on Thursday night. However, the Colts did not immediately release any additional details about the injury after the game, and the team planned to conduct further evaluations on Friday.

The timing couldn’t be worse for Indianapolis, as the team looks to bounce back from consecutive 8-9 campaigns and break a five-season postseason slump.

Moreover, Mason’s role has become increasingly important to the team’s overall performance. He is entering his fourth season with Indianapolis as the special teams coordinator, and the Colts were relying on him to help take the unit to another level this year.

The Colts ranked second in the NFL in kickoff return average in 2025, averaging 28.8 yards per return. They also allowed the lowest opponent punt return average in the league at 6.3 yards.

“I try to teach those guys to have something, so they’re not thinking about 10 things [or] the crowd. They’re just locked in on the one thing that they want to focus on improving,” Mason said after last Thursday’s practice.

The special teams coordinator has also worked with three different kickers during the last season: Spencer Shrader, Blake Grupe and Michael Badgley. Under Mason, Shrader scored 51 points during the first four weeks of the season, becoming the first player in franchise history to reach that mark in the opening month.

Grupe on the other hand, made history by converting a 60-yard field goal against the Seattle Seahawks last year. It was the longest field goal in Colts franchise history.

For now, the Colts are waiting for more information about Mason’s condition. The fact that he was able to travel back to Indianapolis with the team is encouraging. But it does not provide a clear indication of the injury’s severity.

And the way Mason reacted after the collision made the injury look serious. The Colts will hope that the evaluations bring better news and allow their special teams coordinator to return soon.

If Mason is unavailable, Indianapolis will have to identify the next man up to handle the special teams responsibilities. The team could promote an assistant from within or temporarily divide Mason’s duties among the coaching staff. An update on this is also yet to be given, and the Colts will be hoping that it is nothing serious.

Either way, losing Mason would create an unexpected problem for a Colts team that is already trying to improve in several areas.