The Indianapolis Colts, like every other team in the NFL, have very little time left to finalize their 53-man roster. Each team's final roster is due by 4 pm EST on August 26, and while the quarterback decision has been made (for now), there are still a lot of cuts needing to be made before Tuesday.
Very few teams will wait for the last minute of the deadline to make the cuts, and as such, numerous teams have already been announcing roster trades and cuts. The Colts are no different, with their first cut being announced a day early.
And frankly, considering his off-season and pre-season performance, this cut was shocking. The Colts let go of cornerback Alex Wilson.
Johnson's training camp performance was not enough to keep him
In August, the Colts signed Xavien Howard, and it was assumed that he would be an immediate starter. Other roster locks are likely Charvarius Ward, Jaylon Jones, and Kenny Moore II, but Johnson impressed throughout training camp and the preseason. With Justin Walley injured and out for the season, it gave Johnson even more of a fighting chance - and he did everything he could to take it.
Both Chris Lammons and Johnson had huge performances in the preseason. Against the Packers, Lammons was on fire, with five tackles - one resulting in a fumble - and three passes defended. He also got a sack in, the only one of the day.
#Colts released CB Alex Johnson per source Had a @PFF cover grade of 90.3 and overall grade of 86.8 in his 101 preseason snaps over 3 games. Should have plenty of interest around the league.
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 25, 2025
Johnson, meanwhile, made big plays against the Ravens. Most notably, he had an eye-popping interception, but overall, the preseason looked good for Johnson. He allowed only three receptions on eight targets for just 39 yards. Along with the interception, he had two pass breakups as well.
To be fair, a good training camp and a few preseason standouts was never going to put Johnson on the roster as a starter; there were too many talented players above him to make that happen. But the Colts also need depth at cornerback, and Johnson seemed to have done enough to at least make the practice squad.
Unfortunately for Johnson, it seems there were just too many other talented players for him to make it. Lammons, Johnathan Edwards, Samuel Womack, Juju Brents - it appears Indianapolis think they ultimately have more to offer than Johnson does. He might still land on the practice squad, after all, but with as well as he's done in recent weeks, he may not still be available.