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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/23

September 23rd, 2023 at 7:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are the various practice squad elevations and other minor moves from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Signed to active roster: LB Sam Eguaveon
  • Elevated: OL Chris Glaser

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Colts Release RB Deon Jackson

September 23rd, 2023 at 10:43am CST by Ben Levine

The Colts are moving on from a Week 1 starter. The team is releasing running back Deon Jackson, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The Colts are filling the open roster spot with running back Trey Sermon, who will be promoted from the practice squad to the active roster.

[RELATED: Colts Add RB Trey Sermon To Practice Squad]

With Jonathan Taylor sitting on PUP and Zack Moss sidelined with a hand injury, the Colts handed Jackson the reigns to start the season. The third-year RB disappointed, finishing Week 1 with 28 yards from scrimmage on 18 touches. Moss returned in Week 2 and stole all the running back carries, and Jackson was limited to only a single special teams snap in that win over the Texans.

Now, Jackson will find himself looking for his next gig. The former UDFA out of Duke spent two-plus seasons in Indy, appearing in 27 games. He started two of his 16 appearances in 2022, finishing with 445 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.

While the Colts continue to seek a resolution with Taylor, the team has done some work to reshuffle their RB corps this week. The team added Sermon to the practice squad before declaring Evan Hull out for the season with a torn meniscus. For the time being, the Colts will move forward with a depth chart that consists of Moss, Sermon, and Jake Funk.

Sermon started two of his nine appearances for the 49ers during his rookie campaign, with the third-round pick finishing with 193 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. San Francisco ended up cutting him at the end of the 2022 preseason, and he spent most of last season on the Eagles practice squad.

Colts Willing To Take Less For Jonathan Taylor?

September 22nd, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The Jonathan Taylor drama has quieted down a bit since the start of the season, but by no means does that mean it isn’t there. After failing to both 1) reach a long-term agreement with Taylor and 2) find a viable trade partner willing to meet their price for Taylor, the Colts placed him on the physically unable to perform list, where he remains today. After the constant drama and failure to navigate their way out of it, is Indianapolis willing to lower its asking price? ESPN’s Stephen Holder thinks so.

The team’s relationship with Taylor seems fractured beyond repair. The Colts made it very clear that they were not willing to commit to Taylor long-term. And, if they choose to utilize the franchise tag on Taylor after the season to keep him from hitting free agency, it’s hard to see any situation where the relationship is repaired. If they remain uncommitted to signing the former All-Pro to a long-term contract, trading Taylor seems like the best option.

Seemingly, Taylor’s pure talent should be enough to convince the Colts to hold on to him for the long-term. Especially considering what they’ve been working with in his absence. In Week 1, while Zack Moss continued recovering from a broken arm, Indianapolis was forced to turn to a combination of Deon Jackson, Evan Hull, and Jake Funk. The three combined for 25 rushing yards on 16 carries for zero touchdowns and two lost fumbles. Moss made his debut in Week 2, during which he would be the only running back to see snaps on offense, playing 56 of the team’s 57 offensive snaps.

This sends a clear message about the team’s confidence in its depth at the position. The Colts were completely dependent on Moss with Taylor still out, and while it’s nice to be able to depend on Moss and have him deliver, they would likely prefer to have multiple options they can trust. Seeing how little the team feels they can trust their current running backs room, one might think their eyes would be opened to the benefits of signing Taylor long-term. Of course, one might think that a 2021 rushing title and a career 5.1 yards per carry might be enough to open their eyes, but here we are.

So, if the Colts want any return on losing Taylor, they’ll need to find a trade partner for the young rusher. Obviously, they need to aim for teams that have the desire and bandwidth to sign Taylor to a long-term deal. Besides that, the asking price has been their biggest concern. The Dolphins and Packers reportedly showed interest in trading for and signing Taylor, but both teams were unable to match the haul that the Indianapolis was requesting. The Packers are also now believed to be out of the running.

Holder reminds that the team’s asking price was a package of picks that amounted to a first-rounder, but he also claims that the Colts would be willing to “settle for something a bit less.” What exactly that means is yet to be determined as the team will still likely continue to play hardball in an effort to avoid giving him away for pennies on the dollar, but if they’re able to lower their expectations, it could open the door for a new team to come in and add Taylor to their stable.

For now, the Colts will hope to see Taylor back on the field after his stint on the PUP list. Past that, there’s still hope that cooler heads prevail, and the two sides can come to an agreement, but a lower asking price for Taylor may lead to the 24-year-old’s inevitable exit.

Colts’ Gardner Minshew To Start In Week 3

September 22nd, 2023 at 2:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

2:15pm: The Colts have, as expected, officially ruled out Richardson for Sunday’s contest. That leaves Minshew in place to carry on the starting duties he had to close out Week 2. A successful run in the QB1 spot – however brief it may be – could boost the latter’s free agent prospects with the Colts or another interested team come the offseason.

11:55am: Anthony Richardson exited the Colts’ Week 2 victory with a concussion, leading to questions about his ability to recover in time for the team’s next contest. He remains sidelined during practice, leaving it highly unlikely he will be under center come Sunday.

Richardson has not taken part in practice all week, including an absence on Friday, per The Athletic’s James Boyd. The No. 4 pick has yet to be ruled out officially, but his chances of clearing the league’s concussion protocol within the next 48 hours are slim. As a result, Gardner Minshew is in line to start for Indianapolis against the Ravens in Week 3.

Minshew took over for Richardson after he exited the Colts’ win over the Texans. The 27-year-old went 19-for-23 and recorded 171 passing yards and one touchdown, numbers which helped move the offense at an efficient clip and prove his effectiveness as a fill-in option. Minshew split first-team reps with Richardson at the onset of training camp, but it was quickly decided that the latter would assume starting duties right away with Minshew representing a known commodity available on the bench.

The former sixth-rounder signed a one-year deal in March, following head coach Shane Steichen from Philadelphia to Indianapolis. Minshew spent a pair of season under Steichen during his time as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, making four starts and nine total appearances. His performance there wasn’t enough to garner interest as a starter on a new team, and it was widely understood the Colts would follow up the Minshew signing by drafting a signal-caller early in April. Their decision to add a well-known insurance policy will be proven to be a sound one, presuming Richardson is indeed ruled out in the near future.

While it is likely the 21-year-old will sit out Sunday’s contest, he is optimistic he will be back in action for the following week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes. A cautious approach would come as no surprise so early in Richardson’s career, considering the investment made in him and the presence of a veteran as a spot starter while he recovers. For at least one full game, it will in all likelihood be Minshew at the helm.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/21/23

September 21st, 2023 at 7:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Houston Texans

  • Signed: CB D’Angelo Ross

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

The Patriots are struggling with injuries in their cornerbacks room, so the organization added two players to the practice squad for reinforcement. Borders has the most experience, with the veteran appearing in 32 games since entering the league in 2017. He only got into a single game for the Bears in 2022, but he did appear in 12 games with the Titans and Cardinals in 2021. Hearn had a stint with the Chargers after going undrafted out of UCLA in this year’s draft.

Colts RB Evan Hull Expected To Miss Rest Of Season

September 21st, 2023 at 11:59am CST by Sam Robinson

Unavailability has been a constant in the Colts’ backfield, which remains without Jonathan Taylor. The team also lost Zack Moss to a broken arm during training camp. While Moss is back, one of Indianapolis’ other backups is not expected to return this season.

Placed on IR last week, Evan Hull is likely to see his rookie season end early. The fifth-round pick suffered a torn meniscus that is expected to sideline him for the rest of the season, The Score’s Jordan Schultz tweets.

With Taylor on the reserve/PUP list and Moss missing Week 1, the Colts used Hull as part of their makeshift backfield in their opener. Teaming with Deon Jackson, Hull played eight snaps in Indy’s opener. But the knee injury intervened on a third-quarter carry. As a result, the Colts will need to make more adjustments in their backfield.

Hull showed pass-catching potential during his final Northwestern season, hauling in 55 passes for 546 yards. His rookie contract runs through 2026.

In Week 2, the Colts turned to Moss almost exclusively. The 2022 trade acquisition played 98% of the Colts’ offensive snaps in the team’s win over the Texans. Jackson remains in place as a backup. Ex-Rams UDFA Jake Funk sits as the third RB on the Colts’ 53-man roster. Indianapolis also added Trey Sermon, who did not make Philadelphia’s 53-man roster in August, to its practice squad this week. Sermon and recent pickup Tyler Goodson, a 2022 Packers UDFA, reside on the Colts’ P-squad.

Taylor is out until at least Week 5. The former rushing champion requested a trade in July and is far from certain to be in a Colts uniform when first eligible, though the disgruntled back has been working out at the team’s facility. Taylor can return to practice next week, but the Colts may also revisit the trade talks that cooled ahead of the roster-cutdown deadline.

Colts Add RB Trey Sermon To Practice Squad

September 19th, 2023 at 9:17pm CST by Ben Levine

With Jonathan Taylor‘s future with the Colts looming over the organization, the team has added an intriguing name to the running backs room. The Colts announced that they’ve signed running back Trey Sermon to the practice squad.

[RELATED: Colts Likely To Resume Jonathan Taylor Trade Talks]

It wasn’t all that long ago that Sermon looked like he could be the future RB for the 49ers. However, the 2021 third-round pick quickly fell behind 2021 sixth-round pick Elijah Mitchell in the pecking order, and Sermon was only thrown into the lineup when he was the last man standing. Sermon ended up starting two of his nine appearances during that 2021 campaign, finishing with 193 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown.

The 49ers ended up cutting him at the end of the 2022 preseason, and he quickly caught on with the Eagles via waivers. He wasn’t able to make much of a dent in a deep Philly RBs room, with Sermon garnering a pair of carries (for 19 yards) in two appearances. Sermon was waived/injured by the Eagles back in August, and after passing through waivers and reverting to IR, the Eagles let him go for good last week.

Now he’ll be joining a Colts RB corps that’s a bit uncertain with their leading rusher sitting on PUP. It’s unknown if Taylor will even play again for Indy, leaving the team to figure out a contingency plan at the position. Zack Moss returned from injury in Week 2 and got all of the looks at RB for the Colts, stealing snaps from Week 1 starter Deon Jackson. The Colts are also rostering Jake Funk.

In other words, Sermon has a chance to carve out a role on a questionable depth chart. The team hinted that they could be seeking additional depth at the position when they worked out James Robinson earlier this month.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/19/23

September 19th, 2023 at 6:33pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Tennessee Titans

Michael Dogbe, a former seventh-round pick, got into 40 games for the Cardinals through the first four seasons of his career. This included 2021 and 2022 campaigns where he appeared in 29 games, collecting 55 tackles and one sack. He caught on with the Texans last week and proceeded to appear in about 25 percent of the team’s defensive snaps this past weekend.

Kyle Peko will bring 31 games of experience to the Titans defensive line. The veteran has already been promoted by the Titans twice this season and started both of his appearances, collecting four tackles. He’ll be taking the spot of Jayden Peevy, who got into two games across two seasons with the organization.

NFL Injury Updates: Burrow, Richardson, Barkley, Thomas

September 17th, 2023 at 8:23pm CST by Ely Allen

Bengals fans have been plenty frustrated with the team’s return on investment from quarterback Joe Burrow‘s record-breaking extension. Through two games, Burrow has averaged 152 yards per game while throwing two touchdowns and an interception. People were concerned about the calf injury that forced him out of practice early in training camp this summer and how it would affect him as the season began. Burrow has pointed to that injury as a big reason for some of his early struggles, according to Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network.

Morrison noted that Burrow spoke “with a level of concern” after today’s game when addressing his right calf. He claimed to have tweaked his calf in today’s loss to the Ravens. Not only did he consider it a factor today, and likely last week, but he also thought there was a chance that it could end up being a tight rope that he is forced to walk for the remainder of the season.

It’s not difficult to see that the Burrow we’ve seen so far this year has been far from what we’re used to seeing in recent years. It will be interesting to see how the Bengals move forward with the handling of Burrow’s calf. Pushing him too hard could result in an extended absence, while a short reprieve of a week or two could help him get on top of a recovery that seems to be troubling him. There’s a lot of season left to go, and the Bengals will be keeping a close eye on Burrow in the days and weeks to come.

Here are a few other updates from around the NFL:

  • Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson got off to a hot start in the second game of his NFL career, rushing for two touchdowns early in today’s divisional matchup with the Texans. Richardson had to exit the game in the first half, though, after sustaining a concussion that would hold him out for the remainder of the contest. Richardson was replaced by backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, who helped secure the team’s first win of the season. Richardson will need to go through concussion protocols in order to return to the field. This season, the protocols for return take about five days to get through, meaning Richardson absolutely has a chance to return for Week 3 if he can pass the necessary tests. If not, Minshew will continue to play in relief.
  • Giants running back Saquon Barkley was injured in the final two minutes of today’s win over the Cardinals. He was obviously kept out of the remainder of the game but was visibly upset on the sideline while surrounded by trainers. They taped Barkley’s ankle, but he continued to walk with a significant limp. According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, an x-ray was performed after the game, while Barkley was still experiencing some swelling and discomfort. It has now been reported as a sprained ankle, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, meaning New York may have dodged a giant bullet, forgive the pun. While this bodes well for Barkley’s season-long prospects, the short week will not be his friend. Expect the Giants to exercise caution and, barring a miracle recovery, hold Barkley out for their Thursday night matchup against the 49ers. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Barkley will undergo an MRI tomorrow in order to determine the severity of the injury and gain an idea of just how much time he may miss.
  • Joining Richardson above, Commanders tight end Logan Thomas left the team’s win over the Broncos today with a concussion that he sustained after getting clobbered over the middle by Denver safety Kareem Jackson. Jackson was ejected for the hit. Backup tight ends John Bates and Cole Turner both got significant run in Thomas’ absence and will continue to do so if he isn’t able to return next week.
  • Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney (knee), Cowboys right guard Zack Martin (ankle), and Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (ankle) all sustained injuries today that kept them out of their respective games. Reports from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Jane Slater and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tell us that none of these injuries are considered serious.

AFC South Notes: Skoronski, Colts, Hughes

September 17th, 2023 at 4:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Titans’ offensive line was shorthanded for their Week 2 contest against the Chargers due to Peter Skoronski‘s absence. The first-round rookie was declared out in advance of Sunday’s game, but the reason why has since been revealed.

Skoronski underwent an appendectomy, as noted by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. That will lead to an absence of at least one week given his recovery including the team’s game today, though further missed games could ensue as well. The 22-year-old served as the Titans’ left guard starter in Week 1, confirming the team’s plans of using him on the inside to begin his NFL career. The No. 11 pick worked as a tackle in college, and his play at Northwestern has led to high expectations in the short- and long-term future for him on a Titans O-line which saw a number of changes this offseason.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC South:

  • The Colts made an early commitment to Anthony Richardson as their starter during his rookie season, naming him the No. 1 after a single preseason game. That move came as little surprise given owner Jim Irsay‘s remarks hinting he would see the field early and often, along with the work the team’s new coaching staff put in during the spring and summer to tailor the offense to his skillset. As SI’s Albert Breer notes, head coach Shane Steichen and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter quickly moved on from the split first-team reps approach in training camp to give full attention to Richardson (the No. 4 pick in the draft) as the focal point of the offense in part due to the limited amount of reps modern camps give teams in developing young players compared to years past.
  • Indianapolis saw Zack Moss return to the backfield on Sunday, but the team’s run game was still shorthanded with Jonathan Taylor on the PUP list and Evan Hull on injured reserve. The latter is sidelined until at least Week 6, but a lengthier absence could be in store. In spite of that, the Colts do expect Hull to be back in the fold at some point in 2023, as noted by Joel A Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. With Taylor’s future still up in the air, a return to at least a depth role would be a welcomed sight in Hull’s case.
  • In need of some in-season financial wiggle room, the Texans recently restructured the contract of defensive end Jerry Hughes, ESPN’s Field Yates notes. The 35-year-old is in the final season of his two-year Houston deal, and the move created $2.14MM in cap space. Hughes’ 2023 cap hit now sits at just over $4.1MM, though the team is also scheduled to have a cap charge of over $2MM next season due to the void years present on his pact. The Texans currently have just under $4MM in cap space to work with.
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