10:55am: The Colts have confirmed they’ve waived Newsome, and have also cut veteran linebacker Andy Studebaker, per a team release. Studebaker played primarily on special teams during his time in Indianapolis.
10:35am: Following his arrest last week, linebacker Jonathan Newsome has been cut from the Colts’ roster, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Newsome himself suggested in a tweet this morning that his time in Indianapolis had come to an end.
“I would like to thank Coach [Chuck] Pagano, Ryan Grigson, Jim Irsay and the entire Colts organization for the opportunity of a life time,” Newsome wrote.
A fifth-round pick in 2015, Newsome had an impressive rookie season with the Colts, recording 33 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles. However, the 25-year-old failed to make the same sort of impact in 2015, with his season totals slipping to 18 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.
Of course, Newsome’s decrease in production during the 2015 season isn’t what cost him his roster spot. The Ball State alum was arrested early last Wednesday morning on possession of marijuana charges, as Matt Adams of FOX59 detailed at the time. Authorities first came to his home to follow up on a noise complaint and during the investigation, officers found marijuana. Police said Newsome cooperated with authorities as he was taken into custody.
Because he has just two years of NFL experience, Newsome will be subject to waivers, meaning another team could claim him tomorrow, assuming the Colts make his release official today. If Newsome clears waivers, Indianapolis will be on the hook for about $89K in dead money on the 2016 cap.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
For real. He had weed on him. Is weed really that destructive that it forces you to give up on a quality defensive lineman. The colts are a worse football team this morning than they were last night.
I’m also a little surprised by the move given the nature of the offense. Obviously he saw a dip in production in 2015, but the Colts need all the help they can get on that side of the ball, and just one year removed from a very impressive rookie season, you have the think the talent is till there.
It’s not the fact that this happened but that it continues to happen. Including just three weeks earlier. The kid got kicked out of Ohio state as well. They are better off without him.