Colts Punter Rigoberto Sanchez Reveals Cancerous Tumor, Set for Surgery

The Indianapolis Colts will be without a key member of the special teams for an unknown length of time. Punter Rigoberto Sanchez revealed on Monday that his doctors found a cancerous tumor in his body. He will now undergo surgery to have the tumor removed.

"Like I said before, it's always God's plan and it will always be bigger than my plans. So grateful to be surrounded by doctors that helped me catch the cancerous tumor before it spread all over my body," Sanchez said in a statement on Instagram. He did not provide any details about the diagnosis or how long he will be out of the lineup. "I will be getting surgery on Tuesday and I know that it will not be an easy bump on the road, but I know I have my amazing wife supporting me along with family, coaches, and friends reaching out.

"Unfortunately, there are things you can't control in life and this is one of them," he continued. "No plans or preparation would have gotten me ready for this kind of adversity, but like I told my wife, we can't flinch. Keep striving to come back stronger than ever. Makes me sick that I'll have to miss some time playing beside my brothers, but I know they will hold it down."

A former member of the Hawaii Warriors college football team, Sanchez entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts and competed with veteran Jeff Locke during training camp, ultimately winning the job. Sanchez then made his NFL debut on Sept. 10, 2017, during a game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Sanchez appeared in Sunday's loss to the Tennessee Titans, fulfilling some of his duties. He punted five times, averaging 50.8 yards during the game. However, he did not kick-off, which he has done since entering the league in 2017. Field goal kicker Rodrigo Blankenship handled those duties. Head coach Frank Reich later told reporters that the change was due to Sanchez dealing with a medical issue.

Since signing with the Colts, Sanchez has remained a key member of special teams. He has been the holder on field-goal attempts, the person responsible for kicking off after scoring drives, as well as the one trying to put the opposing offenses in unfavorable field position with each punt. The team awarded Sanchez for his play in 2019 with a four-year, $11.6 million contract, locking him up through the 2023 season.