Colts secondary faces significant challenge after recent roster moves

The Indianapolis Colts completely shook up their secondary this offseason. New defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo brought fresh faces in with him like Charvarius Ward, Cam Bynum and Xavien Howard. 

After showing solid signs in preseason, Indy’s defensive back end already is facing a monster challenge, and it’s not one that’s brought on by any opponent. 

On Friday, the Colts announced that Ward (concussion) and Jaylon Jones (hamstring) would both be out for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos. Just one day later, the team placed Jones on injured reserve, forcing him to miss at least the next four games. 

Jones has been dealing with hamstring issues since training camp. It’s an injury which is always tricky to come back from due to the risk of reaggravation, and given Jones has reinjured the same muscle which hampered him in the summer, it could be longer than a four-game absence. 

In his absence, Indianapolis’ depth faces a significant test. Undrafted rookie Johnathan Edwards and Mehki Blackmon, who the Colts traded for at the roster deadline, will likely see significant playing time. Chris Lammons has also been elevated to the active roster from the practice squad for Sunday. 

If there’s any silver lining, there’s not too many crazy wide receiver rooms that the Colts will see over the next couple games. Week 4 against the Los Angeles Rams will be the toughest receiving core that Indy will face in the four-game span Jones must miss, with a talented duo of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. The Arizona Cardinals also have a couple of dangerous pass catchers in Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Trey McBride; while Jones could be back by then, it would be somewhat surprising to see him return so quickly.

Only time will tell how much of an impact not having Jones will be, and however Anarumo’s defense comes out will say a lot about how elite his unit can be in 2025.