Colts place key defensive player on injured reserve list
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Colts announced on Tuesday that they have placed safety Julian Blackmon on the injured reserve list.
The move means that Blackmon will not play again this regular season.
Blackmon injured his shoulder in Sunday’s 29-10 loss to the Falcons. The injury occurred in the second quarter of the game. He did not return.
Blackmon leads Indianapolis in interceptions (4) this season, which is a career-high for Blackmon. His latest interception came less than two weeks ago when he picked off quarterback Mitch Trubisky in Indianapolis’ 30-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He also has two fumble recoveries this year, along with 88 tackles. The two fumble recoveries and 88 tackles are also career-highs for Blackmon.
Blackmon had started all 15 games for the Colts this regular season.
Earlier in the day on Tuesday, before the announcement regarding Blackmon, Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley was asked about safety Nick Cross should he fill in for Blackmon.
“Well, I like his mindset,” Bradley said. “I don’t know if I could’ve said that last year. I don’t know if there was complete trust with him out on the field, but now there is trust and he’s going to get his chance to show us. He’s going to get a chance to show his teammates. He’s a better communicator at the free safety spot. Now he just has to transfer that to the strong safety spot.”
Cross was listed as the starting strong safety on the team’s depth chart Tuesday after the announcement regarding Blackmon.
The Colts also revealed Tuesday they had signed safety Henry Black off of the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad. Black spent the first seven weeks of this season on the Colts’ practice squad. Black has played in a total of 25 games during his NFL career.
The Colts (8-7) have a crucial game on Sunday afternoon when they host the Las Vegas Raiders (7-8). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. EDT inside Lucas Oil Stadium. The matchup will have big AFC playoff implications. Indy currently holds the final AFC Wild Card spot while the Raiders are on the outside looking in, although Las Vegas is coming off an upset win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.
The Colts will be looking to bounce back after their loss to Atlanta.
“I feel like Gardner [Minshew] said it perfectly, ‘Don’t take it for granted,’” Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin said after the Colts’ loss to the Falcons. “Being in a situation in December where you can fight for a playoff spot and play meaningful football, don’t take it for granted. Don’t feel like you beat a team on paper just because you all are supposed to be better than them. It’s hard to win in this league, and unfortunately, today was the lesser. We’ve still got two games left, and we’re back to work on Wednesday to get another win on Sunday.”
The Raiders lead the all-time series against the Colts with an 11-10 record.