Colts sign 49ers cornerback, who immediately fails team physical

San Francisco 49ers v Arizona Cardinals
San Francisco 49ers v Arizona Cardinals | Michael Zagaris/GettyImages

The Indianapolis Colts are in urgent need of more depth at numerous positions, but cornerback is one of the biggest ones. Currently, the Colts have Samuel Womack and Jaylon Jones, with David Long behind them, on the boundary, and Kenny Moore II and Chris Lammons as slot defenders. Chris Lammons in particular is seen as a below-average player, especially when it comes to pass coverage,

A new cornerback claimed off of waivers was supposed to help; the Colts announced that Ambry Thomas will be joining the Colts roster, having been placed on injured reserve with the San Francisco 49ers after fracturing his forearm in the preseason, the 49ers ultimately chose to waive Thomas with just three games left in the season.

Thomas was selected by the 49ers in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and has been a reliable defender. Overall, he played in 42 career games across his four seasons with the 49ers, where he racked up compiled 65 tackles, one tackle for loss, 12 passes defensed, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and 14 special teams stops; in the post season, he had an additional 27 tackles and one pass defensed.

Yet this potentially promising pick has already become a problem, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that he failed his team physical, and that his forearm injury hasn't fully healed yet. This could potentially throw Thomas' position with the Colts into question; the Colts could choose to keep him, but they could also use this as an opportunity to void the contract with the 49ers, in which case Thomas would return to San Francisco, and wait to see if another team chooses to claim him.

Thomas' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, insists that he's ready to play, as the 49ers had cleared him over a month ago. “Ambry feels good and is ready to play,” he said. “My prediction is he will pass his next physical.”

Rosenhaus told The Athletic's James Boyd that he will be looking to join another team, leaving the Colts stuck in the same place they are now.

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