The Colts made a roster move Tuesday that says plenty about where their offensive line stands heading into Week 1: they wanted another true tackle, and they got one.
Indianapolis signed Luke Tenuta from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, then waived former starting cornerback Jaylon Jones to open the spot. The move gives the Colts the backup offensive tackle depth they were missing after last week’s roster cuts.
Tenuta’s path back to the active roster was quick. He originally made the 53-man roster nine days ago, only to be released when the Colts claimed cornerback Kapena Gushiken off waivers. Indianapolis then brought back the 2022 sixth-round pick on the practice squad, and general manager Chris Ballard said the offensive line picture still wasn’t finished ahead of Sunday’s season opener against the Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Now the Colts have their starting five set: Tanor Bortolini at center, Quenton Nelson and Matt Goncalves at guard, and Jalen Travis and Bernhard Raimann at tackle. Rookie guard Jalen Farmer looks like the first lineman off the bench, unless Bortolini goes down, which would push new backup Sedrick Van Pran-Granger into the mix after the team acquired him from the Bills in a trade Aug.
- If Travis were injured at tackle, Goncalves would likely slide outside, with Farmer taking over at guard.
Until Tenuta’s elevation, guard Dalton Tucker was the Colts’ last backup. Tenuta gives them insurance at tackle, especially if Goncalves has to leave a game.
He spent all of last season on the roster but was inactive for the first 13 games. When Travis moved into the starting lineup after Braden Smith was injured in the Week 14 loss in Jacksonville, Tenuta was active the next week in Seattle and played 26 offensive snaps late in the game after Raimann was hurt.
He then played only two snaps against the 49ers and none in the final two games, even with Indianapolis dealing with a battered offensive line.
Jones had been viewed as a likely cut candidate coming out of an injury-hit 2025 season and a new defensive system under Lou Anarumo that never seemed to give him a firm role. He played in 10 games last fall and made two starts, after appearing in the first 34 games of his career in 2023 and 2024 with 27 starts, including all of the 2024 season.
With Jones gone, the Colts now have five cornerbacks on the 53-man roster for Week 1: Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward, Justin Walley, Gushiken and Johnathan Edwards. Cam Taylor-Britt is out for one week because of a league suspension. Rob Carter Jr. and Kenneth Harris remain on the practice squad and could be elevated if needed later in the week.
To fill Tenuta’s spot on the practice squad, Indianapolis signed tight end Kenny Fletcher Jr.
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Colts Just Made A Secondary Decision Fans Didn't See Coming
The Colts kept tweaking the bottom of the roster by moving offensive tackle Luke Tenuta up from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, a shift that opened a spot for the team to make another pass at its depth. To keep the practice squad balanced, Indianapolis also brought in free agent tight end Kenny Fletcher Jr., an undrafted rookie out of Rutgers who made his college move from defensive end to tight end.
The move that stands out most is on the other side of the ball, where the Colts waived cornerback Jaylon Jones, a two-year starter for the team before this latest shake-up. Tenuta brings prior NFL stops with the Bills, Packers and Cardinals, but Jones departure adds a layer of intrigue because it trims from a position group that has mattered for Indianapolis, and it leaves one more roster question hanging as the team sorts out what it wants its secondary to look like next. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Secondary Draws Fresh Scrutiny Right Before The Opener
The Colts secondary is getting a little unwanted attention as the season opener approaches, with two defensive backs landing on the NFLs fine list for preseason infractions. Cam Taylor-Britt was hit for unnecessary roughness on a tackle in the finale against the Lions, while Trey Washington was fined for a facemask in a preseason game against the Falcons, adding a late-week reminder that discipline has been part of the conversation around this group.
The bigger issue for Indianapolis is the timing. Taylor-Britt is already set to miss the opener because of a separate suspension tied to a violation of the leagues personal conduct policy, leaving the Colts to sort out their back end without one of its most recognizable defenders. For a unit trying to settle in before the games start counting, the added fines only underscore how little margin there is for error. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Just Got A New Reason To Believe In This Roster
ESPNs Football Power Index has already handed the Colts a little mid-summer optimism, running thousands of 2026 season simulations and turning up one path that lands Indianapolis in the postseason as a wild-card team. In that version of events, the Colts finish 9-8, which would be enough to keep them in the race and reward a roster that still has enough talent to make the exercise feel more than theoretical.
The simulation gets even more interesting from there, with Indianapolis knocking off Jacksonville in the opening round before running into Buffalo in the divisional round. It is only one projection among many, of course, but it does underscore the appeal of this roster: there is a believable way for the Colts to be playing meaningful January football if the strengths hold up and a few of the softer spots do not get exposed. [Read more 🡒]