Indianapolis Colts safety Malik Hooker told reporters Tuesday he expects to return from a three-game absence on Sunday, when the team hosts the Denver Broncos.
“If they give me the green light, I’m out there,” Hooker said, adding he was beyond 90 percent ready for last Sunday’s win against the Houston Texans.
He has missed three games while recovering from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee, which he sustained in Week 3. He was given a four- to six-week timetable in late September.
Hooker, 23, had 10 tackles and an interception — a dazzling one-handed grab in the end zone in Week 1 — through the season’s first three games.
A first-round pick in 2017, Hooker battled ailments to his groin, shoulder and hamstring in his rookie season in 2017 before landing on injured reserve after tearing his ACL and MCL. He missed two games last year.
In 24 career games (23 starts), he has six interceptions and nine passes defensed.