Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon saw his season cut short in 2021 when he suffered a torn Achilles during practice. Now, he’s working his way back from surgery and appears ahead of schedule.
In speaking with reporters Wednesday during OTAs, head coach Frank Reich told the media that Blackmon is looking good and while he didn’t want to put a timetable on the return, he did mention that the third-year safety is ahead of schedule.
“Yeah, it’s going well. He looks really good. When we’re out there working out, I see him over there and they’re working him out physically and he looks strong, he looks good,” Reich said. “Not ready to put a date on when he’ll be back but I’m optimistic that he’s doing well, ahead of schedule and will be ready to go before too long.”
Blackmon is a key part of the secondary, and losing him during the 2021 season was a massive hit to the defense. His ability to play in coverage while adding aggressiveness against the run are aspects not easily replaced when he goes down.
The Colts made some effort to ease his way back in the offseason by signing veteran Rodney McLeod and trading up for Maryland safety Nick Cross during the third round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Coming back from an Achilles tear isn’t the easiest process for any athlete. It’s a brutal injury and many athletes don’t regain their full explosiveness for a while. Sometimes it takes a full year to feel like themselves again.
But the Colts have had plenty of recent experience with the injury, most notably with running back Marlon Mack and defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo.
The Colts defense is looking to take a jump under new coordinator Gus Bradley, and Blackmon is expected to be a key part of that endeavor.
Whether the third-year safety will be ready for training camp remains to be seen, but it appears he’s making solid progress.
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