Jaylon Jones is walking into Colts training camp with a real fight on his hands.
Indianapolis has built a cornerback room that suddenly looks crowded at the top, and that leaves the veteran in a shaky spot as the roster starts to take shape. The Colts already have Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward as starters, and they added Cam Taylor-Britt in free agency. Taylor-Britt also brings familiarity with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s system from their time together with the Cincinnati Bengals, which could give him an edge over Jones in the battle for a job.
Jones, now entering his fourth season, has had stretches that looked good enough to matter. He was a full-time starter in his first two years, and in 2024 he posted a quarterback rating allowed of 85.8.
He also gave up just one touchdown pass, picked off two passes, and broke up 10 others. His missed tackle rate sat at 13.4 percent, which is hardly a disaster for a corner.
But 2025 changed the picture. Jones dealt with a hamstring injury in training camp, aggravated it before Week 1, and eventually landed on injured reserve.
He missed seven games, and when he came back for Week 9, the path to a long-term starting role was already blocked. The Colts soon traded for Sauce Gardner, and Jones was pushed further down the ladder.
That slide has continued into 2026. Mekhi Blackmon could also have the upper hand on Jones, largely because Anarumo didn’t appear to trust him much in his first season with the Colts. Jones started only two games and struggled badly in both.
Outside those starts in Weeks 9 and 14 - with Sauce Gardner missing Week 14 because of a calf strain - Jones had a limited role. He logged five games with five or fewer defensive snaps. In those two starts, he allowed eight completions on 11 targets for 103 yards and a touchdown, and he didn’t record an interception or a pass breakup.
If Indianapolis keeps six cornerbacks, Ward, Gardner, and nickelback Justin Walley are locked in. Taylor-Britt and Blackmon look like the favorites for two of the remaining three spots, which leaves Jones fighting for what may be the final opening.
That last job could come down to Jones and Jonathan Edwards. Edwards hasn’t established himself as a top corner, but he has a clear edge on special teams, and that matters for a depth defender. A player buried on the depth chart has to bring value in the third phase, and Edwards is more dependable there than Jones.
Even if the Colts decide Jones is the odd man out, he should have a market elsewhere. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, he has the size teams want, and he can help against the run.
A team like the Seattle Seahawks could make better use of him than Indianapolis does. Jones may be staring at a tough roster battle, but he doesn’t look finished in the NFL.
In Other News...
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Alec Pierce Faces The Colts Season That Changes Everything
Alec Pierces next season in Indianapolis comes with a very different kind of weight after the Colts handed him a four-year, $114 million extension and cleared the path for him to become the offenses lead wideout. He has already shown the kind of downfield ability that makes him valuable in this system, and Pro Football Focus has him sitting just outside the top 20 at his position, a sign that the league is starting to view him as more than a complementary target.
What happens next matters because Pierce is no longer being paid like a role player, and the Colts are treating him like a receiver who should help define the passing game. A strong year could push him into the 15-20 range in those PFF rankings, which would be a meaningful jump for a player whose production has still left room for more. For Indianapolis, the question is whether Pierce can turn that promise into the kind of season that changes his standing around the NFL. [Read more 🡒]