The Indianapolis Colts have been dealing with injuries in their secondary since training camp. Now, their depth at the cornerback position faces its first real test.
According to head coach Shane Steichen, both cornerbacks Charvarius Ward (concussion) and Jaylon Jones (hamstring) have been ruled out for Sunday afternoon’s game against the Denver Broncos.
Defensive end Laiatu Latu, who was downgraded from a limited participant to a non-participant on Thursday, was not ruled out and Steichen said the team is looking into a potential pitch count for him. Steichen said Latu would be listed as questionable.
Ward, who entered the concussion protocol on Monday after self-reporting his symptoms, had a slim chance of clearing the protocol prior to Sunday, so his absence isn’t too surprising. Neither is Jones’, as Steichen said earlier in the week that he would be out “a while” with his hamstring issue. Jones remains a potential candidate to go on injured reserve, so his status even for Week 3 is up in the air already.
Still, missing two cornerbacks, including Indy’s recent free agent acquisition, is a big deal. While the Broncos did struggle to get the passing game going against the Tennessee Titans last week (quarterback Bo Nix passed for just 176 yards and threw two interceptions), the Colts’ understaffed secondary will make it a little bit easier for Denver to find a groove.
Look for roster deadline acquisition Mekhi Blackmon and undrafted rookie Johnathan Edwards to receive significant time in the absence of Ward and Jones.