The Indianapolis Colts must decide this week whether or not to activate linebacker Jaylon Carlies from Injured Reserve.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indianapolis Colts second-year linebacker Jaylon Carlies has been on Injured Reserve throughout the first 13 weeks of the regular season. Now in Week 14, he may be ready to make his season debut.
"He had a great week of practice, and we'll make that decision here soon," Colts head coach Shane Steichen said on Friday when asked if Carlies is ready to come off of IR.
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. Carlies was ruled out by Friday in each of the last two weeks, but he has not been ruled out for this Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars as of this Friday.
By the end of this week, the Colts must decide whether to activate Carlies from IR or keep him on it, ending his season.
Typically, the Colts would make such a move on a Saturday before a game as they do their practice squad gameday call-ups.
While Carlies was once considered a shoo-in for the starting WILL linebacker spot, it's difficult to gauge what role he could have defensively this late in the season. Zaire Franklin and Germaine Pratt have a stranglehold on the two primary linebacker spots, but Carlies could compete with Austin Ajiake for a role as a passing-down player.
Carlies 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.
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.