Colts Place Bob Sanders on IR

They waited as long as they could, but the Indianapolis Colts placed safety Bob Sanders on season-ending injured reserve on Wednesday.

Rookie cornerback David Pender has been signed off the team’s practice squad to replace Sanders on the 53-man roster.

Sanders has been sidelined since injuring his biceps in the 2010 regular season-opener.

The 5-8, 206-pound Sanders was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2007, and has 290 tackles, 3.5 quarterback sacks, and 6 interceptions during his career, which has only included two seasons (2005, 2007) where he played more than six games.

An undrafted free agent from Purdue, Pender had five tackles during a pre-season spent with the Philadelphia Eagles. Pender opened the season on the Baltimore Ravens’ practice squad before signing with the Colts in Week 10.