The Indianapolis Colts have activated linebacker Jaylon Carlies from Injured Reserve.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Indianapolis Colts are making it official and activating second-year linebacker Jaylon Carlies from the Injured Reserve list, allowing him to play for the first time in 2025 following an ankle injury.
Along with removing Carlies' questionable designation for Sunday on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Colts downgraded defensive end Tyquan Lewis (ankle) from questionable to out, and elevated new kicker Blake Grupe and defensive tackle Chris Wormley to the active roster from the practice squad for the game. They'll revert to the practice squad afterward.
Carlies has been on IR throughout the first 13 weeks of the regular season. Now in Week 14, he's ready to make his season debut.
"He had a great week of practice," Colts head coach Shane Steichen said about Carlies on Friday.
Carlies injured his ankle during training camp at the beginning of August and only recently returned to practice. The Colts opened his 21-day practice window in Week 12, and Carlies has been a full participant each day of practice in those three weeks.
He also sat out the entirety of the Colts' offseason program while rehabbing from shoulder surgery, watching from the sidelines as new coordinator Lou Anarumo installed his defense. Carlies was able to participate when training camp began in late July, but on the eighth day of camp, Carlies suffered his latest injury.
Carlies was drafted in the fifth round in 2024 as a convert from safety. He earned more playing time as his rookie season wore on, but he did miss seven games due to injury, including a broken fibula that also landed him on IR in the middle of the year.
In 10 career games (six starts), Carlies has 36 tackles (two for loss), 1.0 sack, one quarterback hit, and one pass breakup.
An Opportunity for Grupe, Wormley
This week, the Colts made the decision to waive kicker Michael Badgley, who last Sunday missed his third extra point attempt in his seven games with the team. To replace him, the Colts signed Grupe to the practice squad. He is a career 79.8% on field goal attempts (including eight misses this season with the New Orleans Saints), but has only missed two extra points in his three-year career.
Wormley made his debut with the Colts last week as a gameday call-up. He had two tackles (one for loss), 1.0 sack, and one quarterback hit. He is providing depth behind Neville Gallimore and Adetomiwa Adebawore in the absence of starter DeForest Buckner.
Lewis Out with New Injury
This is not the first injury that has caused Lewis to miss time this season. He missed three games following a groin injury between Weeks 8-10 but returned two weeks ago before suffering this latest ankle injury. He has 3.0 sacks and four tackles for loss this season. In his absence, rookie JT Tuimoloau will likely see an increased role.
Jake Arthur has been covering the Indianapolis Colts for over a dozen years and is a member of the PFWA. He's one half of the Locked On Colts podcast and has worked for the Colts' official website, On SI, and more. You can follow him on X @JakeArthurNFL.