Following roster cutdowns on Tuesday, the Indianapolis Colts were back on the practice field on Wednesday, and returning were cornerback JuJu Brents and running back Trey Sermon, according to The Athletic’s James Boyd.
Brents suffered a nose injury in the Colts’ second preseason game against Arizona that required stitches and kept him sidelined up until today. Sermon, meanwhile, has been working through a hamstring injury that he sustained in Week 1 of the preseason against Denver.
Overall, Brents had put together a solid performance throughout training camp. But like any young player who missed time during his rookie season, regular reps are going to be vital for him.
We often hear about players making their biggest developmental jump in Year 2. The Colts are banking on Brents doing just that, given that the cornerback room looks mostly the same as it did in 2023.
The backup running back battle was thought to be one of the more intriguing competitions in training camp, but Sermon quickly established himself as the No. 2 behind Jonathan Taylor and never relinquished his grasp on that role.
Boyd also reported that Tanor Bortolini, who suffered a toe injury in the preseason finale against Cincinnati, was not seen at Wednesday’s practice. No timetable for his return has been established, although Shane Steichen did say that while Bortolini wasn’t going to miss extended time, he would miss some.
The transition from college to the NFL at the center position in particular can be a difficult jump to make, as offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter highlighted recently, but Bortolini was getting better each day, and went from playing with the third team offense to the second unit in the final preseason game.
The Colts went heavy on the offensive line, which inlcuded keeping Danny Pinter, who can be the backup center if Bortolini is still injured or not quite ready for that role.
The only other player on the 53-man roster who wasn’t practice was Josh Downs, who is progressing “really well” from his ankle injury, as Steichen put it.