Indianapolis Colts special teams coordinator Brian Mason tore multiple ligaments in his knee after being involved in a sideline collision on the final play of Thursday night’s preseason opener against the New England Patriots.
The incident occurred during Riley Leonard’s last-second Hail Mary attempt in a game that ended in a 13-13 tie at Gillette Stadium. As players from both teams remained engaged near the boundary, their momentum carried them into the Colts’ sideline. Mason, who was standing in the coaching area watching the play, attempted to move clear but was unable to avoid contact. He was “rolled up,” went to the ground in obvious pain, and immediately grabbed his right knee.
Type of 💩 that happens to the Colts man let me tell ya… coach gets hurt on final play of the game ending in a TIE
— Bryce Campbell (@BCampbell__87) August 14, 2026
It’s always somethin 😭 prayers up to the coach 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/7eqmkYkYjR
Team medical staff attended to Mason on the field before he was evaluated further in the locker room. Head coach Shane Steichen addressed the situation postgame, saying: “He got rolled up right on the sideline that last play. So we’ll see. He’s getting evaluated for his knee right now.”
Mason flew back to Indianapolis with the team and underwent additional evaluation on Friday. Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star first reported that Mason suffered multiple torn knee ligaments. No further details on a potential surgery, recovery timeline, or exact ligaments involved have been released. The Colts have not yet announced how the injury will affect Mason’s availability or the structure of the special teams coaching staff in the near term.
Mason is in his fourth season as the Colts’ special teams coordinator after being hired by Steichen in March 2023. He previously served as special teams coordinator at Notre Dame in 2022 and at Cincinnati from 2018-21, where his units were among the nation’s best and helped the Bearcats reach the College Football Playoff. His peers selected him the 2022 Special Teams Coordinator of the Year for his work at Notre Dame.
His coaching path also includes graduate assistant stops at Ohio State, Purdue, Kent State, and earlier roles at Bluffton and Denison.
Senior assistant special teams coach Joe Hastings is positioned to help handle increased responsibilities if Mason’s mobility is limited in the coming weeks. Sideline injuries to coaches remain rare in the NFL, though not unprecedented—examples include then-Saints head coach Sean Payton suffering a broken tibia and torn MCL in 2011, and Washington’s Dan Quinn sustaining a facial injury in a sideline collision last season.