What's your weather doing - if you have frozen ground or are still expecting hard freezes, the roots may be safer remaining in the ground for now.

Whether they'd fare better in pots is hard to say. Containerized, they need a quick draining potting medium that will retain moisture without staying soggy, and would be dependent on you for regular water and nutrition.

If they had time to begin to establish when you planted them in Fall, they might recover faster where they are, provided you could protect them - had you thought about encircling them with low fencing to temporarily protect them from being trampled? In any case, which ever you decide, cleanly remove anything jagged or broken with sharp pruners so as to not offer a secondary foothold for insects or disease.

Thanks

The weather has been fairly warm and springy for FEB but could turn freezing at any time

Looked today and one has been reduced to a stump. The branches were so brittle on these that they just break off . The other Azaleas (red) that I planted seemed healthier from the get and have been more resistant to abuse.

Good point on the container though.. They may die there too I guess. I will think it over til the weekend when I have the time.