Dealing with injuries on the defensive side of the ball, the Indianapolis Colts announced on Sunday that they elevated cornerback David Long and defensive tackle Adam Gotsis from the practice squad.
We have elevated DT Adam Gotsis and CB David Long Jr. to the active roster from the practice squad for #PITvsIND.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 28, 2024
The Colts have already ruled out Kwity Paye and Kenny Moore for Sunday’s game against the Steelers, along with Tyquan Lewis and Chris Lammons being questionable.
Long was signed to the Colts’ practice squad just before the regular season began. He is a former third-round pick in the 2019 draft by the Los Angeles Rams.
Over his career, Long has appeared in 67 games, included 43 starts. Long spent last season with the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, and Las Vegas Raiders, playing 193 total defensive snaps, along with being a special teams contributor with the Packers.
On Sunday, Long will provide depth and special teams help for the Colts at a very thin cornerback position. Without Moore, Lammons–if healthy–could line up in the nickel as could Sam Womack, who the last two weeks has been sharing boundary snaps opposite of Jaylon Jones with Dallis Flowers.
Gotsis, meanwhile, was signed to the Colts practice squad ahead of the team’s Week 3 matchup versus the Bears.
Gotsis is another player with NFL experience, appearing in 121 games with 54 starts in his career. He is a former second-round pick by Jacksonville in 2016. In the most recent 2023 season, Gotsis played 427 snaps, totaling 20 pressures and 25 tackles.
Adding Gotsis to game day roster gives the Colts additional depth at defensive tackle. With Paye already out and unknown right now around Lewis’ status, we may not see Dayo Odeyingbo play as many snaps inside this week. Lewis also saw an increased workload inside this past game, and obviously, if he can’t go, that not only hurts the defensive end depth but the interior depth as well.
