The Indianapolis Colts are back on the practice field Wednesday in preparation for their Week 3 matchup with the Chicago Bears, and returning to practice safety Julian Blackmon.
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After playing 100 percent of the Colts’ defensive snap in Week 1 against the Houston Texans, Blackmon did not practice at all last week and was ruled out of the Week 2 game against the Green Bay Packers on Friday.
Blackmon had been dealing with a shoulder injury–the same shoulder that ended his 2023 season early–however, last week head coach Shane Steichen said that he did not believe the injury was long-term.
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In Blackmon’s absence, the Colts moved Nick Cross from free safety to strong safety, with Rodney Thomas then getting the start in the deep safety role. Ronnie Harrison, who was signed back to the practice squad last week, was elevated to provide depth at the position.
Tasked with heavy run responsibilities, Cross handled himself well down in the box, making 13 total tackles and missing only one by PFF’s metrics. Although the Colts secondary wasn’t tested often, they did allow Packers’ quarterback Malik Willis to have an efficient performance, completing 12-of-14 passes for 122 yards and a score.
Once practice is over and the Colts release their initial injury report for the week, we will find out if Blackmon was a limited participant today or a full participant.