Jaylon Jones made his return to the practice field last Wednesday after the Colts opened the cornerback's 21-day window to be activated off injured reserve.
Jones, who first sustained a hamstring injury that sidelined him for multiple weeks in training camp, reinjured that same hamstring in the Colts' Week 1 win over the Miami Dolphins and was then placed on injured reserve.
In his first week back on the field, Jones was a limited participant in all three practices. On Wednesday, Jones was a full participant.
He has not yet been activated off injured reserve, but the third-year cornerback's presence has been a welcome sight for his teammates and coaches.
"We'll see how the week goes, but he's progressing really well," head coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday.
It's no secret that the Colts' cornerback room has been dealt a challenging hand through the first eight weeks of the season. Rookie Justin Walley sustained a season-ending injury in preseason, veteran Charvarius Ward Sr. was placed on injured reserve after sustaining a concussion in Week 7 and Kenny Moore II just recently returned from an Achilles injury that held him out for three weeks.
With that, Chris Lammons, Mekhi Blackmon, Cameron Mitchell and undrafted rookie Johnathan Edwards have all seen their workloads increase. And while they've been able to make plays in crucial moments, the secondary has still struggled to reach its full potential.
"We're still not where we want to be yet," safety Cam Bynum said Wednesday. "But I think we've grown every single week, growing together, learning things, figuring out the things that we want to master, things that we're not as good at."
Jones' return – whenever that may be – could prove to be a significant boost for the entire defense. In his three years with the Colts, Jones has appeared in 35 games (27 starts) with two interceptions, 15 pass break-ups and 144 tackles. He earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 3 in 2024, with two interceptions against the Chicago Bears. Jones started all 17 games last season and finished with a career-high 100 tackles, good for the most tackles by a cornerback that season.
Samson Ebukam, Tyquan Lewis and Anthony Gould did not participate in Wednesday's practice, but Steichen said all three are progressing well.
Check out photos from the Indianapolis Colts' practice at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center as they prepare to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9 at Acrisure Stadium.
WR Alec Pierce #14
P Rigoberto Sanchez #8
DE Laiatu Latu #97
C Jimmy Morrissey #65, OL Josh Sills #66, C Tanor Bortolini #60, T Bayron Matos #78 and T Bernhard Raimann #79
T Luke Tenuta #67, G Quenton Nelson #56 and T Jalen Travis #75
QB Daniel Jones #17
QB Daniel Jones #17
QB Brett Rypien #4
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
S Camryn Bynum #0
WR Alec Pierce #14
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
WR Alec Pierce #14
QB Daniel Jones #17
QB Daniel Jones #17
QB Daniel Jones #17
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
QB Daniel Jones #17
QB Daniel Jones #17
QB Riley Leonard #15
WR Ashton Dulin #16
Sean Sullivan - Director of Equipment Operations and QB Daniel Jones #17
WR Ashton Dulin #16
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
QB Riley Leonard #15
QB Brett Rypien #4
RB Ulysses Bentley IV #37
RB Ulysses Bentley IV #37
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
RB Ameer Abdullah #26
RB DJ Giddens #21
RB D.J. Giddens #21
RB D.J. Giddens #21
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
CB Keydrain Calligan #39
CB Cameron Mitchell #43
RB Tyler Goodson #31
G Tanor Bortolini #60
TE Tyler Warren #84
TE Drew Ogletree #85 and TE Tyler Warren #84
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
G Quenton Nelson #56 and T Luke Tenuta #67
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11 and QB Riley Leonard #15
WR Alec Pierce #14 and QB Daniel Jones #17
WR Adonai Mitchell #10 and QB Daniel Jones #17
S Camryn Bynum #0
RB Ulysses Bentley IV #37
WR Laquon Treadwell #13
TE Will Mallory #86
DE JT Tuimoloau #91
DE Kwity Paye #51
LB Germaine Pratt #53
LB Germaine Pratt #53
RB Tyler Goodson #31
WR Laquon Treadwell #13
WR Laquon Treadwell #13
QB Daniel Jones #17
DE Laiatu Latu #97
DE Kwity Paye #51
LB Zaire Franklin #44
S Camryn Bynum #0
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
DT DeForest Buckner #99
DE Kwity Paye #51
DT Eric Johnson II #98 and DE Laiatu Latu #97
DT Neville Gallimore #92 and DE Kwity Paye #51
LB Zaire Franklin #44
LB Buddy Johnson #59
LB Buddy Johnson #59
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11 and WR Alec Pierce #14
DE Kwity Paye #51
DT Neville Gallimore #92
LB Chad Muma #55
WR Ashton Dulin #16
WR Ashton Dulin #16
RB Ulysses Bentley IV #37
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
WR Alec Pierce #14
WR Coleman Owen #9
WR Alec Pierce #14, WR Adonai Mitchell #10, WR Ashton Dulin #16 and WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
WR Ashton Dulin #16
TE Tyler Warren #84
TE Mo Alie-Cox #81
TE Drew Ogletree #85
WR Alec Pierce #14
Wednesday's full practice report:
