Former Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones didn’t stay on the market long.
After Indianapolis cut ties with the tall, rangy defender earlier this week, the 2023 seventh-round pick cleared waivers, chose free agency and quickly landed with Tennessee, an AFC South rival. The move also reunites Jones with Titans defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who previously held that same job with the Colts.
Jones had been a key piece for Bradley in Indianapolis. Over his first two seasons, he made 27 starts, logged nearly 2,000 snaps and emerged as Bradley’s top corner. In 2024, he delivered 100 tackles, 12 pass breakups, two interceptions and held opposing quarterbacks to an 86.0 rating as the nearest defender in coverage.
“I really like Jaylon,” Bradley told Tennessee reporters on Thursday. “Big, tall, lot of length to him, physical.”
The fit changed once the Colts moved from Bradley to Lou Anarumo as defensive coordinator in 2025. Anarumo’s defense leans more heavily on corners who can handle man coverage, and Jones had issues at times with the quickness and change-of-direction demands that come with that style.
Indianapolis spent much of 2025 reshaping its cornerback room for Anarumo’s system, and Jones’ role shrank even as injuries piled up at the position. He ended up with just two starts and 205 defensive snaps.
Now the Colts are moving forward with Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward and Justin Walley projected as their starting cornerbacks in 2026, with former Bengals starter Cam Taylor-Britt and developmental cornerback Johnathan Edwards behind them. Edwards, in fact, moved ahead of Jones on the depth chart in 2025.
For Jones, Tennessee offers a reset and a familiar playbook.
“I’ll get up to speed pretty quick, I’ve been in the defense before,” Jones told the Titans’ website. “I’m excited to get to work.”
In Other News...
Former Colts Starter Just Created An Awkward AFC South Test
Jaylon Jones move across the AFC South is the sort of roster swing that can linger on the schedule. The former Colts cornerback, who made 17 starts in 2024, was let go after injuries and a less effective 2025 season made it harder for Indianapolis to keep him in the mix. Tennessee wasted little time giving him a new home, adding him to the active roster as it continues reshaping its defense.
For the Colts, the awkward part is obvious: if these teams meet, Jones will be standing on the opposite sideline with a chance to line up against his old team. Tennessees new defensive setup could give him an opening to play, while Indianapolis enters the matchup with a cornerback group that looks far deeper and better positioned to limit whatever role he ends up carving out. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Richardson Suddenly Has A Colts Opportunity He Can't Waste
Sam Darnolds early exit in Seattle offered a reminder of how quickly a quarterback room can change, and for the Colts, that reality carries a direct effect on Anthony Richardson. Darnold was injured in the first game of the season and did not return, with Drew Lock taking over and helping the Seahawks finish off the win, while reports afterward said the MRI looked good. Even so, the episode underscored the fragile nature of a season behind center, especially for a team with quarterback depth questions already hanging over it.
For Richardson, the message is simple: stay ready, because an opportunity could arrive sooner than expected if Daniel Jones misses time at any point. The Colts have invested heavily in the quarterback position and need someone capable of stepping in without the offense losing its identity, which puts added importance on Richardson being prepared for whatever comes next. In a league where one injury can change the depth chart overnight, this is the kind of opening he cannot afford to let pass. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Just Reopened A Frustrating Rodney Thomas II Debate
The Colts spent the offseason leaning into a clear youth-and-athleticism reset, trading Zaire Franklin and letting both Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas II walk in free agency as part of that shift. Thomas, who landed with the Seahawks after first joining their practice squad, is already back in the conversation after getting into a Week 1 game and holding his own against the Patriots, a reminder that his value has always been tied to more than one narrow role.
For Indianapolis, that makes the old Thomas debate feel fresh again. He has long been viewed as a versatile piece who could contribute in a variety of ways, and his early showing in Seattle only sharpens the contrast with how the Colts used him before he departed. Even if the move made sense on paper, his start with the Seahawks is exactly the sort of development that can leave a team wondering whether it gave up on a useful defender a little too soon. [Read more 🡒]