Already dealt an unexpected blow when Isaiah Rodgers‘ gambling suspension surfaced after the draft, the Colts’ cornerback contingent sustained another loss Sunday. Dallis Flowers will not return this season.
The second-year corner suffered a torn Achilles, Shane Steichen said (via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder). Flowers emerged as a starter during the preseason and had opened each of Indianapolis’ four games as a first-stringer on the boundary.
Flowers joined Julius Brents as Indy’s outside starters alongside slot staple Kenny Moore. The Moore-fronted group went through major changes this offseason, when the team traded Stephon Gilmore to the Cowboys and let Brandon Facyson walk in free agency. Found to have bet on Colts games, Rodgers incurred an indefinite ban and hit waivers soon after the suspension surfaced. Rodgers is now with the Eagles, who will attempt to see if he can contribute — pending reinstatement — once his contract tolls to 2024.
A Division II product out of Pittsburg State, Flowers arrived in Indiana as a UDFA last year. The 26-year-old defender started one game in 2022, working as a kick returner and backup defender. This year, he lined up on 99% of the team’s defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus ranked Flowers just outside the top 40 at the position. An extensive rehab effort will need to take place before the 6-foot-1 defender can resume his on-field growth.
Beyond Moore, the Colts are inexperienced at this position. Second-year UDFA Darrell Baker appears to be the next man up, having played 110 defensive snaps thus far this season. Brents replaced Baker in the lineup, after the latter opened the season as a starter. PFF ranks Baker as the league’s second-worst corner through four games; he might have a second chance soon. Seventh-round rookie Jaylon Jones looms as an option, and sixth-year veteran Tony Brown (four career starts) are also on Indy’s 53-man roster.