For the first time since his Jaguars rookie contract expired, Taven Bryan has a deal in place that would allow him to play for the same team in consecutive seasons.
The Colts are re-signing the former first-round defensive tackle on a one-year deal, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. This follows a 2023 agreement between the parties. The Colts continue to be active in retaining talent, with this move coming after the team re-signed Kenny Moore, Grover Stewart and Tyquan Lewis.
Bryan’s disappointing stint in Jacksonville saw him serve as mostly a backup. He had a one-year stop in Cleveland in 2022 and started a career-high 16 games, earning him a contract from the Colts last offseason.
He got into all 17 games for his new squad, starting seven contests in 2023. He finished the campaign with 22 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. Pro Football Focus ranked him only 99th among 130 qualifying interior defenders, although he did land in the top-half of his position for his pass-rush ability.
The Colts should return most of their defensive tackle corps in 2024, with DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart getting the bulk of the snaps at the position. Bryan and Eric Johnson II pretty much split the leftover snaps in 2023, but the team has since brought in Raekwon Davis for even more depth.