INDIANAPOLIS – JuJu Brents’ injury-plagued NFL career has hit yet another obstacle.
The Indianapolis Colts’ second-year cornerback will be placed on the injured reserve list and will require surgery to address a knee injury sustained during Sunday’s season-opening loss to Houston, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Brents did not suffer a torn ACL, but the nature and severity of the injury will be determined during surgery. The team is hopeful the Warren Central H.S. product will be able to return to the active roster by mid-December.
In Sunday’s game, Brents was on the field for 78% of the defensive snaps (62 of 79) and was credited seven tackles, including three solos.
The knee injury is Brents’ latest hurdle to overcome.
The Colts selected him in the second round of the 2023 draft and he missed much of the offseason work while recovering from wrist surgery stemming from his final season at Kansas State.
He subsequently has dealt with a variety of injuries.
Brents missed the first two games of his rookie season with a hamstring injury and six more later in the season with a quadriceps injury. He was unable to finish the week 18 loss to Houston because of a hamstring injury.
This season, he underwent what was described as a “clean up’’ procedure on an ankle in June, missed time during training camp with a minor shoulder injury, and then suffered a broken nose in the second preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Considering the herky-jerky start to his career, Brents was eager to attack year two.
“Definitely excited to hit the ground running. It’s exciting times,’’ he said prior to the opener. “The year 2-type vibes I’ve been getting, man, it’s hard to describe.’’
As much as the knee injury impedes Brents’ progress, it’s a major hit to the Colts’ secondary.
Brents and Jaylon Jones were the only outside cornerbacks active for the Houston game.
Other corners on the active roster are Kenny Moore II, Dallis Flowers, Samuel Womack III and Chris Lammons. Flowers was inactive Sunday while Womack, who was recently claimed off waivers, was on the field for just two special teams plays. Lammons was signed to the active roster from the practice squad Tuesday.
The practice squad includes Jaylin Simpson, Ameer Speed, David Long Jr. and Kelvin Joseph, who was added Tuesday.
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.