In the coming weeks, we will be taking a closer look at each of the Indianapolis Colts’ unrestricted free agents and making a prediction as to whether or not they will return for the 2025 season.
To kick things off, let’s start with safety Julian Blackmon.
Blackmon returned to the Colts for the 2024 season on a one-year deal after testing free agency last offseason.
He was coming off a career year in 2023 as the team’s strong safety. However, a shoulder injury in the Colts’ Week 1 opener against Houston forced a position change.
After missing the Colts’ Week 2 matchup, when Blackmon returned in Week 3, he primarily lined up at free safety, where there is less contact and with the hope that doing so would help keep him on the field–which it did.
Compared to his 2023 season, Blackmon’s production took a step back in 2024. In part, that’s product of playing deeper and not being as close to the action as often.
However, one would think that, to some degree, his shoulder injury played a factor, and following a career season, some sort of regression was probably the most likely outcome.
So will Blackmon return this offseason? My guess is that he won’t.
Safety is certainly a need for the Colts with only Nick Cross, Rodney Thomas, and Marcel Dabo under contract for the 2025 season.
In addition to that, improved play on the back end and in the secondary as a whole is needed. As GM Chris Ballard said after the season, “we’ve got to get better.”
There is certainly some stability that Blackmon could provide by returning, especailly at a position that still has its unknowns. But if things are going to change in Indianapolis, they can’t stick with the status quo and bringing back the same players year after year on teams who didn’t make the playoffs.
Whether it’s free agency, whether it’s the draft, or both, the Colts need some new additions in the secondary that can hopefully help elevate the play of this unit.
I also think it’s worth noting that a year ago when Blackmon was a free agent, the Colts had no problem with him testing the market, which I think was a sign that even at that time, they were okay with him moving on.
With all of that said, while I certainly understand if you’re going to be in wait-and-see mode to see if Ballard’s offseason approach actually changes, his season-ending press conference did give that vibe when he called his roster building approach in 2024 a “mistake.” Now, to what extent things might change, we will have to see.
Prediction: Julian Blackmon signs elsewhere
