Hawaii Alumni Report | NFL | Week of Oct. 18–24, 2026
Rigoberto Sanchez's tenure as the Indianapolis Colts' starting punter is under a cloud after the team made an unusual mid-season move — signing a Super Bowl champion punter with no obvious roster justification beyond injury concern.
Sanchez Faces Roster Pressure
The Colts' decision to bring in an emergency punter on Tuesday raised immediate red flags around Sanchez, who has been Indianapolis's starter and one of the more notable Hawaii alumni in the NFL. Mid-season signings at specialist positions are rarely precautionary — they typically signal that a starter's availability is genuinely in doubt. The new addition, a punter with a Super Bowl ring on his résumé, is not the kind of depth move teams make casually.
Sanchez was on the field in Indianapolis's Week 7 loss to the Tennessee Titans (20–26), so the situation developed quickly after that game. Whether he suffered an injury during the contest or in practice afterward, the Colts' front office moved fast enough to create legitimate questions about his availability going forward. Until the team provides clarity on Sanchez's status, his hold on the starting job is uncertain — and for a player who has built his career in Indianapolis, that's a storyline worth watching closely.
Around the League
Sanchez isn't the only Rainbow Warrior in action this week. Jahlani Tavai, the veteran linebacker now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, suited up in Jacksonville's 31–34 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday. The defeat dropped the Jaguars further into a difficult stretch, though Tavai continues to log NFL snaps well into his professional career — a testament to the kind of reliability Hawaii programs have consistently produced at the linebacker position.
Elsewhere on the roster sheet, the Hawaii contingent across the league remains notable for its breadth: Tru Edwards is with the Rams, Darius Muasau with the Patriots, and Kohl Levao and Ilm Manning are holding down offensive line spots with the Jets and Seahawks, respectively. None had significant developments surface this week, but the sheer volume of Hawaii alums holding active NFL roster spots — from specialists to linemen to linebackers — reflects the program's sustained pipeline to the pros.
The Bottom Line
The headline concern this week is Sanchez. A punter signing mid-season is the NFL equivalent of a smoke alarm — it doesn't always mean fire, but you don't ignore it. Colts fans and Hawaii faithful alike will be watching practice reports closely over the coming days for any official word on his status. If Sanchez misses time, it would be a significant blow for one of the Rainbow Warriors' most prominent active NFL representatives.
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