INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts placed veteran cornerback Jaylon Jones on injured reserve due to the hamstring injury he suffered in the season opener, the latest setback in a star-crossed season for the former starter.
Under NFL rules, Jones must miss at least four games before he is eligible to return from the hamstring, the same muscle that led to the third-year cornerback missing most of training camp and losing his spot in the starting lineup.
The third-year cornerback was off to a good start.
Drafted in the seventh round in 2023, Jones was forced into the starting lineup by injury as a rookie and acquitted himself well, earning a starting spot for 27 of a possible 34 games in his first two years. A big, physical cornerback with a reputation as a battler, Jones held opponents to a respectable 86.0 rating as a starter last season while making 100 tackles, 12 pass breakups and two interceptions.
But the Colts made a change at defensive coordinator this offseason, and after being remarkably durable for the first two seasons of his career, Jones has been unable to shake the injury bug in his third year.
Jones missed time during spring workouts with an injury, then suffered a serious hamstring injury in the second week of training camp, effectively knocking him out of the competition to retain his job. When the Colts lost projected starter Justin Walley to a torn ACL against Baltimore, Indianapolis went out and signed veteran Xavien Howard, then traded for Vikings cornerback Mekhi Blackmon a week later.
The two new acquisitions took the cornerback snaps opposite Charvarius Ward last week. Howard started the game outside, and Blackmon played a significant role as the defense’s speed option at cornerback.
Jones, on the other hand, did not play a single defensive snap before suffering another hamstring injury on his sixth snap of special teams work, and Indianapolis replaced his spot on the roster with undrafted free agent Trey Washington, a safety who likely profiles mostly as a replacement for Jones in the kicking game.
With Jones on injured reserve and Ward out due to a concussion, the Colts will turn to Blackmon and undrafted rookie Johnathan Edwards at cornerback. Indianapolis elevated veteran Chris Lammons from the practice squad this week to provide insurance.
The Colts also elevated undrafted rookie running back Ulysses Bentley IV for the second consecutive week. Backup running back Tyler Goodson is still recovering from an elbow injury suffered against the Packers in the preseason, and after he practiced on a limited basis for most of the week, the Colts may want extra coverage at the position.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts place former starter Jaylon Jones (hamstring) on injured reserve
