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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

Failed Waiver Claims Following Roster Cut Deadline

August 30th, 2025 at 5:28pm CST by Ely Allen

Following every team’s efforts to get down from a 90-man training camp roster to a 53-man active roster for the regular season, waiver wire claims were processed on non-vested players that were cut. There were a few players who drew more interest than others. We’ve already seen the breakdown of claims for former Ravens cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis and former Cardinals cornerback Jaylon Jones, so here’s a look at a couple more.

The Ravens also waived Beau Brade, an undrafted safety out of nearby Maryland who made the team as a rookie last year. Mostly a special teamer throughout his year in Baltimore, Brade fell victim to an influx of unexpected talent from the team’s new undrafted class as rookie free agents as Keyon Martin and Reuben Lowery earned spots over Armour-Davis and himself. Per ESPN’s Field Yates, the Jaguars were interested in bringing Brade to Duval, but the Giants had the higher waiver priority.

Armour-Davis wasn’t the only player the Titans were awarded off waivers. Tennessee also ended up claiming cornerback Samuel Womack fresh off his dismissal from Indianapolis. A fifth-round pick out of Toledo in 2022, Womack started eight games for the Colts last year after getting waived by the 49ers in 2024’s final roster cuts. Tennessee was awarded the 26-year-old this year, although the Browns also put in a claim, according to Garafolo.

Garafolo pointed out one more such instance with former Jaguars defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson. A fourth-round pick out of LSU last year, Jefferson was waived by Jacksonville after being inactive for nine games his rookie year. The Bengals, who desperately need improvement on the defensive line this season, put in a claim for Jefferson to come to Cincinnati, but the 49ers held a higher waiver priority and claimed him for themselves.

Yates also brought up another, noting that linebacker Cam Jones had a claim from the Colts before being awarded to the Jets, while ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that former Eagles offensive guard Trevor Keegan was awarded to the Cowboys due to their waiver priority over the Chargers.

Similarly, when the Giants waived fan favorite backup quarterback Tommy DeVito, they hoped that they would be able to bring him back to their practice squad, per Geoff Magliocchetti of Sports Illustrated. Instead, the Patriots claimed him off waivers, and now Paul Schwartz of The New York Post reports that the Giants will not sign a quarterback to practice squad, as a result. It’s just as well, considering the team is carrying three passers on the active roster.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 8/28/25

August 28th, 2025 at 9:12pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Teams around the NFL continued to adjust their practice squads as new players came free from Wednesday’s transactions. Here are all the latest updates:

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Falcons

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: CB Jalen Kimber, DE Andre Jones Jr.
  • Released: CB Daequan Hardy

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos:

  • Signed: TE Patrick Murtaugh

Detroit Lions: 

Green Bay Packers:

Houston Texans: 

  • Signed: OT Reid Holskey, WR Josh Kelly

Indianapolis Colts: 

Jacksonville Jaguars: 

Kansas City Chiefs:

Los Angeles Chargers:

Miami Dolphins:

  • Signed: RB JaMycal Hasty

Minnesota Vikings:

New England Patriots: 

New York Giants: 

  • Signed: TE Qadir Ismail

New York Jets: 

  • Signed: OL Marquis Hayes, DB Korie Black

Philadelphia Eagles:

San Francisco 49ers: 

Seattle Seahawks: 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 

Tennessee Titans: 

Washington Commanders: 

Signed: RB Donovan Edwards, CB Darius Rush

Ismail was one of 17 players to work out for the Giants on Thursday, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. He won the practice squad spot over more notable players like former Broncos safety Caden Sterns and former Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Canadian quarterback Taylor Elgersma also attended the workout, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, suggesting that the Giants might be looking for extra depth at the position.

Wallace worked out for the Vikings on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. It must have gone well, as he was signed to the practice squad hours later as extra depth both in the secondary and on special teams.

Griffin returned to the Seahawks this offseason, eight years after they made him a third-round pick in the 2017 draft. He did not make Seattle’s 53-man roster, but as a vested veteran, he was able to re-sign to the practice squad without going through waivers.

Colts To Meet With LBs Anthony Walker, Kyzir White

August 28th, 2025 at 9:38am CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts’ expected Zaire Franklin sidekick, Jaylon Carlies landed on IR on Tuesday. While Carlies is on short-term IR, he will miss at least four games due to the transaction. This creates a need in Indianapolis.

At least two linebackers will meet with the Colts about a job Thursday. Kyzir White and Anthony Walker are stopping by, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Fox Sports’ Greg Auman. White played out a two-year Cardinals contract and has not signed anywhere this year, while Walker — a former Colt — did not make the Buccaneers’ 53-man roster.

Walker spent Bucs training camp on the active/NFI list, and the team released the veteran defender rather than transfer him to the reserve/NFI list this week. Walker signed a one-year, $1.42MM deal with the Bucs in March. He is certainly better remembered for a Colts tenure that lasted four seasons. Indianapolis drafted Walker in the 2017 fifth round and used him as a three-year starter alongside Shaquille Leonard.

Walker (now 30) started 48 games with the Colts and played at least 60% of the team’s defensive snaps each year from 2018-20. Arriving in Chris Ballard‘s first draft as GM, Walker (81 career starts) joined the Browns as a free agent in 2021. That cleared the runway for Bobby Okereke to see a workload increase. At that point, Franklin was not a full-timer. That changed since, with the former special-teamer becoming a lead performer on Indy’s defense. The Colts now have a question alongside their ace tackler, with Carlies down with an ankle injury, per the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson.

White, 29, met with the Lions earlier this summer. The Cardinals did not re-sign the former Super Bowl LVII starter after his two-year, $10MM contract expired. White started 28 games for the Cards from 2023-24, including all 17 last season. In 2024, White made 137 tackles (nine for loss) and added 2.5 sacks and three pass breakups. Due largely to coverage issues, Pro Football Focus ranked White as one of the NFL’s worst LB regulars last season. The former Chargers and Eagles defender has 73 starts on his resume.

The Colts kept Cameron McGrone — a three-year Indy contributor with zero career starts — at linebacker to go with Franklin, special-teamer Joe Bachie (two starts in five NFL seasons) and Segun Olubi (two starts in three Colts seasons). Although Indianapolis claimed ex-Jacksonville LB Chad Muma on Wednesday, it would stand to reason the team would be interested in adding more help for the time being.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC South

August 27th, 2025 at 7:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Colts, Jaguars, Texans and Titans moves are noted below.

Houston Texans

Signed to practice squad:

Indianapolis Colts

Claimed:

Signed to practice squad:

Jacksonville Jaguars

Signed to practice squad:

Tennessee Titans

Claimed:

Waived:

Released:

Signed to practice squad:

Colts Will Not Trade QB Anthony Richardson

August 27th, 2025 at 6:12pm CST by Adam La Rose

Anthony Richardson lost out to Daniel Jones in the Colts’ quarterback competition this summer, but he is still in the team’s plans for at least the time being. General manager Chris Ballard made it clear on Wednesday no Richardson trade is being considered at this time.

“I know the negativity and it’s easy to say, okay, he’s done,” Ballard said of the 2023 No. 4 pick (via the team’s website). “And I don’t agree — I’ve said this numerous times — I do not agree with that. I’m proud of Anthony, of where he’s at, how far he’s come. He’s come miles… And there’s a lot of value in sitting behind a guy that’s a professional and watching and learning and growing and working on the things you need to work on without the same pressure of being the starter.”

Richardson played just four games as a rookie before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. The 23-year-old struggled when healthy last year, and at times he was benched in favor of backup Joe Flacco. Indianapolis prioritized adding a veteran signal-caller this offseason, and Jones departed Minnesota knowing a starting gig would be on offer. The former Giant (added on a one-year pact including over $13MM guaranteed) will look to offer stability under center in contrast to Richardson’s inconsistent showings – which, to date, have not been enough to end his Indianapolis tenure.

“There’s examples of guys that have had rough starts to their careers and have absolutely bounced back and had good careers,” Ballard added. “And there’s examples of guys who’ve been benched who come back and play.”

After Richardson completed just 47.7% of his passes and threw more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (eight), any trade undertaken at this point would contain little in the way of value coming back to the Colts. The Florida product has demonstrated his rushing upside when on the field, but that alone would not entice much in the way of attractive offers from suitors.

After this season, a decision will need to be made on Richardson’s 2027 fifth-year option. It is on track to be declined at this point, something which would point further to an Indianapolis departure being likely. For now, though, the Colts are in position to keep him in the fold.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC East

August 27th, 2025 at 4:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Bills, Dolphins, Jets and Patriots moves are noted below.

Buffalo Bills

Signed to practice squad:

Released from IR via injury settlement:

Miami Dolphins

Waived:

  • S Jordan Colbert

Signed to practice squad:

New England Patriots

Claimed:

Waived: 

Signed to practice squad:

New York Jets

Claimed:

Released:

Signed to practice squad:

2025 NFL Waiver Order

August 27th, 2025 at 9:57am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Many of the players cut Tuesday were subject to waivers, giving teams a chance to pick them up (along with the rest of their contract). Teams can claim as many players as they want before the next team gets their remaining targets.

It’s also worth noting that relatively few players are claimed off waivers during final roster cuts each year. Waiver claims will be processed at 11am CT in the following order (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo). In reverse order of the 2024 NFL standings, here is how the waiver priority sits:

  1. Titans
  2. Browns
  3. Giants
  4. Patriots
  5. Jaguars
  6. Raiders
  7. Jets
  8. Panthers
  9. Saints
  10. Bears
  11. 49ers
  12. Cowboys
  13. Dolphins
  14. Colts
  15. Falcons
  16. Cardinals
  17. Bengals
  18. Seahawks
  19. Buccaneers
  20. Broncos
  21. Steelers
  22. Chargers
  23. Packers
  24. Vikings
  25. Texans
  26. Rams
  27. Ravens
  28. Lions
  29. Commanders
  30. Bills
  31. Chiefs
  32. Eagles

Colts Place LB Jaylon Carlies On IR, Set 53-Man Roster

August 26th, 2025 at 7:28pm CST by Ben Levine

The Colts have cut down their roster to 53 players. The team announced the following moves:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

  • K Maddux Trujillo

Placed on IR (designated for return):

Jaylon Carlies will be forced to miss at least the first four games of the upcoming season, but it sounds like it should be a minimum stay on IR for the linebacker. According to Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star, Carlies should only require a short stint on injured reserve as he recovers from an ankle injury. The 2024 fifth-round pick started six of his 10 appearances for the Colts last season, collecting 36 tackles and one sack.

While he’s not the biggest name from the list of cuts, linebacker Austin Ajiake was waived in a bit of a surprising move. As Erickson notes, the former UDFA spent significant time with the second-team unit during the preseason, and he even got some reps with the first team. A UNLV product, Ajiake has also had stints with the Broncos, Raiders, and Packers. He spent the entire 2024 campaign on Indy’s taxi squad.

Colts To Host CB Mike Hilton

August 26th, 2025 at 3:37pm CST by Adam La Rose

Mike Hilton found himself amongst the Dolphins’ roster cuts yesterday. A long stay on the open market may not be needed this time, however.

Hilton has lined up a visit with the Colts for tomorrow, NFL insider Jordan Schultz reports. A workout in Indianapolis will take place, and a deal could be struck shortly thereafter. Per Schultz, a mutual interest exists for an agreement in this case.

It would come as little surprise if Hilton were to wind up with the Colts. He has four years of experience working with Lou Anarumo dating back to their time together in Cincinnati. Anarumo was the Bengals’ defensive coordinator during that span, and he is now at the helm of the Colts’ defense.

Injuries in the secondary have been an issue for Indianapolis this offseason, so the prospect of additions well into the summer has been consistent. Xavien Howard is set to return to the NFL after sitting out the 2024 campaign. He too is a familiar face to Anarumo. As an illustration of the team’s uncertain situation at the CB spot, Howard could step into a starting role despite only signing last week.

Hilton, on the other hand, would not be expected to handle a first-team role if he joined the team. The 31-year-old has operated in the slot for much of his career, but the Colts already have Kenny Moore to handle those duties. Hilton could serve as a veteran backup option, though, as a veteran of 123 games. Hilton is free to sign at any time, and it will be interesting to see how tomorrow’s workout goes. It could produce an agreement on the active roster of Indianapolis’ initial practice squad.

Vikings Trade CB Mekhi Blackmon To Colts

August 25th, 2025 at 8:55pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Vikings are trading cornerback Mekhi Blackmon to the Colts in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Blackmon, a 2023 third-round pick, carved out a role as Minnesota’s third cornerback as a rookie with 435 defensive snaps across 15 games. That seemed like an indicator that he would compete for a starting role during his second training camp, but the 26-year-old suffered a torn ACL in July missed all of the 2024 season.

Blackmon completed his recovery this offseason without issue and started the Vikings’ last two preseason games. However, that may have been an attempt to showcase the third-year corner to other teams, as ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reports that Blackmon “seemed stuck with the third team on a depth chart that isn’t exactly loaded with cornerbacks.” As a result, Minnesota opted to move forward with a veteran trio of Byron Murphy, Isaiah Rodgers, and Jeff Okudah and recoup some draft capital for Blackmon.

Enter the Colts, who made yet another addition to their secondary this offseason after signing Charvarius Ward, Camryn Bynum, and most recently, Xavien Howard. All three are listed as starters on the team’s unofficial depth chart along with two incubments: nickel Kenny Moore and safety Nick Cross. Upon arriving in Indianapolis, Blackmon will join fellow 2023 draftees Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents in the cornerback room and provide depth on the boundary.

This is the third trade the Vikings have made in the last week as general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah uses the team’s surplus talent to upgrade its draft capital. Along with deals to send Sam Howell to the Eagles and Harrison Phillips to the Jets, he has now collected four new picks – fifth- and sixth-rounders in 2026 and sixth- and seventh-rounders in 2027 – while also giving up 2026 sixth-round and 2027 seventh-round picks. Though that’s only a net gain of two Day 3 draft picks, teams always want to squeeze every bit of value out of departing players, and the extra picks could help Adofo-Mensah wheel and deal in the future.

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