Colts activate key cornerback from IR ahead of Week 18
01/04/2025 01:31 PM
After missing most of his second season with a knee injury, Indianapolis Colts cornerback JuJu Brents will return in Week 18. The emerging defensive back has spent all but one game of the year on injured reserve.
The Colts activated Brents off of injured reserve on Saturday, they announced on X, formerly Twitter. He suffered a PCL and meniscus injury in Week 1 and has been recovering from the ensuing surgery all season.
Brents entered 2024 as the Colts’ top cornerback after an impressive rookie season. His injury forced free agent acquisition Samuel Womack III into the starting lineup, who filled his shoes admirably. However, with Brents back on the active roster, he immediately slots back in as the team’s CB1 opposite of fellow second-year Jaylon Jones.
Without Brents in the lineup, the Colts’ secondary has been their biggest weakness. Indianapolis enters Week 18 allowing the eighth-most passing yards in the league. While they have improved in that aspect as the season went along, most of their defensive struggles have been directly related to their struggles to contain outside receivers.
In his return, Brents will face a tough matchup with Jacksonville Jaguars star rookie Brian Thomas Jr. Through 16 games on the year, Thomas leads all rookies with 1,179 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Jacksonville, however, will be without Trevor Lawrence, who remains on injured reserve due to the infamous hit from Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair.
As a rookie in 2023, Brents posted six pass breakups, tied for third on the team with Kenny Moore II and Zaire Franklin. He added one interception, one forced fumble and 43 total tackles. While not elite numbers, his continuous improvements were enough to have many expecting a second-year breakout as a true lockdown corner.
Colts end disappointing season in Week 18
In his return, Brents can add just one more game to his 2024 campaign. The Colts were eliminated from the playoffs with their embarrassing Week 17 loss to the New York Giants, making their meeting with the Jaguars the final act of an up-and-down year.
While Brents returns from injured reserve, the Colts ruled out Anthony Richardson for the game. Will Fries, Samson Ebukam and Braden Smith all also remain out.
The 7-9 Colts get a soft matchup with the 4-12 Jaguars to close out the season. Jacksonville has nothing to play for other than draft position. The Jaguars have a slim chance of ending the year with the No. 1 overall pick but would need external help, as the New England Patriots currently control their own destiny.
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