Going into the 2010 season the safety position was a clear strength for the Indianapolis Colts.

It was recently reported Bob Sanders' backup Melvin Bullitt will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.

As Week 5 approaches it is a glaring weakness.

Bob Sanders went down in Week 1 with a biceps injury that will shelve him for most of the regular season at minimum; in Week 4 Melvin Bullitt reportedly broke a bone in his shoulder that will end his season; and hell, even Jamie Silva’s offseason ACL tear is now magnified.

The last safety standing is Antoine Bethea.

Rookie Brandon King and third-year man DaJuan Morgan are listed on team’s depth chart as backup safeties. Recently acquired cornerback Justin Tryon may be another option.

This is a huge hit for a team reeling from injuries on both sides of the ball.

In addition to the three injured safeties, offensive linemen Charlie Johnson and Jamey Richard; wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Anthony Gonzalez; running back Donald Brown; and linebacker Clint Session have all missed games this season.

Some will point to a “Super Bowl hangover” for this team. Maybe, though Sanders, Silva, Richard, and Gonzalez saw virtually no field time in 2009 so it would be hard to believe a Super Bowl hangover is affecting them.

The Colts love their “next man up” mantra. It will be put to the test like never before.

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