It was a bit of a surprise to see the Indianapolis Colts release cornerback Pierre Desir over the weekend, but he quickly resurfaced signing with the New York Jets just a day later.
Desir himself was blindsided by the release. It likely stemmed from a $3 million guaranteed injury clause kicking in on Sunday but even so, Desir wasn’t expecting to hit the streets so suddenly.
After a down season, it is somewhat understandable why Desir was cut. But the veteran cornerback said he was playing hurt throughout the 2019 season, dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him from playing at his highest level.
“I was trying to do the best for my team,” Desir told Connor J. Hughes of The Athletic. “The coaches wanted me to play. I was trying to play. It was just one of those years. I was injured, but my team needed me. That injury is tough. You see why guys miss an entire season with hamstring injuries.”
Desir said he essentially was playing on one leg after injuring his hamstring in Week 3. The sleeve he wore to protect the hamstring prevented him from opening up and running and the fact that he missed practice time led to a lack of conditioning, which in turn led to him being ill-prepared physically each week.
Desir signed a three-year deal during the 2019 offseason, but the way the contract was constructed by the Colts front office meant they could essentially cut him anytime after Year 1 without much dead-cap penalty.
It was a bit surprising to see the move get made because the Colts aren’t beaming with depth in the cornerback room. They have the promising Rock Ya-Sin coming off of a solid rookie campaign on the boundary. Kenny Moore remains to be one of the best slot corners in the game. Beyond that, Marvell Tell III is still developing and Quincy Wilson has essentially become persona non grata when it comes to playing time.
The release of Desir likely means the Colts are going to target the cornerback heavily in the 2020 NFL draft with their first of seven picks coming in the second round. They could also add some depth to the room via free agency, but they are likely hoping the market calms down before doing so.
Desir was a solid veteran presence to have in the cornerback room, but the Colts likely felt his decline wasn’t worth the money he was being guaranteed.
Whether Desir’s play was due to his injury remains to be seen, but the veteran cornerback was certainly blindsided by the release.