Jaylon Jones is already back in the AFC South, and the Indianapolis Colts may not have to wait long to see him again.
The former Colts cornerback signed with the Tennessee Titans on Thursday and made the jump to the active roster, not the practice squad. That puts him in position to face Indianapolis twice in 2026, and possibly beyond, after the Colts moved on from him just days ago.
Jones’ exit fits a pattern in Indianapolis. The team trusted him enough to make him a full-time starter in 2024, but it also has not shown much patience with seventh-round picks. He was released shortly after 2022 seventh-round selection Rodney Thomas II was not re-signed in free agency.
The move to Tennessee gives Jones a fresh opportunity, but the numbers from last season help explain why the Colts were willing to let him go. He was injured at the start of 2025 and then struggled once he returned.
In 17 starts in 2024, he was solid, but he did not carry that level of play into the following season. His quarterback rating allowed in 2025 was 100.9, and he gave up two touchdowns on 28 targets, with 16 completions allowed.
He surrendered one more touchdown last season than he did in 2024, despite seeing 73 fewer targets.
Even with Jones out the door, Indianapolis does not appear to have a hole at cornerback. If the group stays healthy, the Colts expect a strong unit with Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward on the outside and promising Justin Walley in the slot. Jones was headed for a buried spot on the depth chart.
Tennessee may offer a better path to snaps, but that is probably more useful for the Colts’ offense than for the Titans’ defense. Robert Saleh is now in charge as Tennessee’s new defensive-minded head coach, yet much of the roster on that side of the ball is new. The Titans are expected to start Alontae Taylor and Cordale Flott at outside corner, and while both can be solid, neither is on the level of Gardner and Ward.
The Colts know Jones’ game, including where he can be attacked, and they clearly did not trust him enough to stay effective in Lou Anarumo’s defense. He is not a bad player, but Indianapolis saw enough to move on.
For the Colts, the bigger picture remains the same: make the playoffs, keep handling the Titans, and keep the AFC South edge intact. Tennessee has not beaten Indianapolis since October 2022, and adding Jones does not exactly change that outlook.
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Colts Defensive Overhaul Just Sent A Former Starter To A Rival
The Colts defensive makeover keeps reshaping the back end of the roster, and Jaylon Jones is the latest familiar name to land elsewhere. Indianapolis waived the cornerback, he cleared waivers, chose free agency and then signed with the Tennessee Titans, giving him a quick path to a division rival after previously spending time in a key role for the Colts.
Jones now reunites with Titans defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, who coached him in Indianapolis, while the Colts continue sorting out their secondary under new coordinator Lou Anarumo. The move is another sign that the scheme change is more than cosmetic for Indianapolis, with old pieces falling away as the team looks for defenders who fit the new approach better. [Read more 🡒]
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Colts Just Reopened A Frustrating Rodney Thomas II Debate
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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 🡒]