Former Colts’ draft pick JuJu Brents made his first start of the season in Week 10 and showed exactly why Chris Ballard spent a second-round draft pick on him in 2023. He was outstanding in man coverage and made sure tackles. He was in the middle of his second solid game against the Washington Commanders when an all-too-common problem stopped him cold.
Early in the fourth quarter, Brents injured his ankle on a 10-yard run by Jacory Croskey-Merritt. There was no immediate word about the severity of the injury, but Brents needed support to walk on the sidelines. He did not return to the game.
Brents got his chance in Miami because of an injury to starting cornerback Rasul Douglas. Douglas is expected to return to the lineup soon – perhaps as early as next week. Brents may well have returned to the bench regardless, but leaving as he did has to be very demoralizing for a player who has struggled to stay healthy throughout his brief NFL career.
Former Colts draft pick JuJu Brents’ injury is a sad reminder of his time in Indianapolis
For most of the game, Commanders’ quarterback Marcus Mariota did not look in Brents’ direction. The Commanders entered the game missing four of their top six receivers and seemed primarily interested in running and getting the ball to tight end Zach Ertz.
When Mariota did target his receivers, it was Deebo Samuel or Chris Moore, and it was usually when opposite corner Jack Jones was in coverage. Brents did get beaten a couple of times early in zone coverage, but was rarely tested. Washington has a group of big receivers, and Brents’ length may have encouraged OC Kliff Kingsbury to go after the smaller Jones.
Jones got the last laugh by picking off Mariota in overtime and setting up Miami’s winning field goal.
By that point, Brents was out of the game. Perhaps the saddest part of his injury is that it was not the result of contact. At the very end of the first half, he was rolled up on by the Commanders’ mammoth tackle, Laremy Tunsil. It looked like the kind of play that has been problematic for the third-year cornerback. But he deftly jumped back from the contact and avoided any complications.
Early in the fourth quarter, however, Washington’s rookie Croskey-Merritt made one of his signature sharp cuts out on the right edge, and Brents’ right leg seemed to catch in the turf as he tried to match the cut. He had to be helped off the field. At first glance, it looked like it might be his knee that was twisted, but it was later described as an ankle.
Brents has had a series of lower-body injuries since arriving in the NFL. The worst was a knee injury in the very first game of the 2024 season. In his two years with the Colts, the former Kansas State star played in just 11 of a possible 34 games. Ongoing concerns about his health led to his release just before the 2025 season.
He had appeared in six games for the Dolphins that year, mostly on special teams. When he finally got his chance on defense last week, he looked to be starting a new chapter.
Sadly, after his latest setback, that chapter appears to be the same old one, only in a new city. As of this writing, there was no update on the severity of the injury. Colts’ fans no doubt wish him the best of luck and hope that this is just a minor setback in his new start.