Justin Walley had impressed during the offseason program and into training camp, pushing hard to start alongside Kenny Moore and Charvarius Ward. A major injury will change the Indianapolis cornerback equation.
The Colts third-round rookie suffered an ACL tear. Shane Steichen confirmed postgame (via the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Atkins). This comes shortly after the third-year Colts HC confirmed Anthony Richardson had suffered a dislocated pinky finger.
Initially coming up as an option in the slot behind Moore, Walley made an offseason leap to the point he was being given real consideration to beating out JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones for the Colts’ boundary spot opposite Ward. The Colts have experienced issues at outside corner for multiple seasons, and this development thins their latest competition.
Brents has experienced frequent injury trouble since being drafted in the 2023 second round, missing 23 games. This included a 15-game absence last season, altering the Colts’ CB plans early. Walley’s setback comes as both Brents and Jones — a regular CB starter over the past two seasons — had missed camp time because of hamstring issues.
The Colts chose Walley 80th overall in April, further augmenting a position group bolstered by winning the Ward free agency derby. GM Chris Ballard followed through on his stripe-changing proclamation by handing both Ward and safety Camryn Bynum big-ticket deals on Day 1 of free agency. Moore is already tied to a three-year, $30MM deal. This still left one spot open at corner, and Walley had regularly mixed in with the first team — to the point he may have been moving ahead of Brents and Jones in the competition.
A Minnesota alum, Walley intercepted seven passes in four seasons with the Big Ten program. The 5-foot-11 corner returned an INT for a touchdown last season and blocked two kicks, earning second-team All-Big Ten acclaim. Walley’s rookie contract runs through 2028, but this injury will impact his time spent to claim a 2026 starting job, as a lengthy rehab odyssey is on tap.