Indianapolis Colts Cut Starter Just One Year After Trading For Him In Surprise Move No One Saw Coming
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
The Indianapolis Colts waived Mekhi Blackmon on Wednesday. The move came one year after they traded a sixth-round pick to the Vikings for him. Few expected the starter to lose his roster spot so fast.
Blackmon played all 17 games last season. He started 11 and posted 64 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups. The Colts signed undrafted free agent Kenneth Harris in the same move.
The #Colts have waived CB Mekhi Blackmon, a former 3rd-round pick of the #Vikings who they traded for last year.
He appeared in all 17 games for Indianapolis last season, starting 11, and recorded 2 INTs, 64 tackles, and 7 pass breakups. pic.twitter.com/NcPQIiii7a
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 26, 2026
Minnesota drafted Blackmon in the third round in 2023. He missed all of 2024 with a torn ACL. Indianapolis brought him in last August to add depth at corner.
Mekhi Blackmon Struggled Through Preseason
Blackmon looked like a roster lock when camp opened. Preseason changed that picture. He struggled in joint practices and games against New England and Atlanta.
Opposing quarterbacks targeted him often. Blackmon allowed multiple completions and four pass-interference flags. He never faced a team’s top receivers in those snaps.
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said the final preseason game would decide several spots. The Colts still cut him before that contest. Injuries and a one-game suspension for Cam Taylor-Britt left the room thin.
The official roster announcement listed Harris as the replacement. Harris spent camp with the Patriots after going undrafted out of Oklahoma State.
Mekhi Blackmon Now Hits the Waiver Wire
Blackmon’s 2025 season was his first full healthy year. He logged 783 defensive snaps after injuries forced extra playing time. Coverage grades were mixed. Availability was not.
He can play outside and in the slot. That versatility helped last year. It was not enough this August. The Colts kept Sauce Gardner, Justin Walley and others ahead of him.
Other teams can claim him off waivers. A former third-round pick with starting experience usually draws interest. Seattle and other clubs have been mentioned in early chatter.
The trade cost Indianapolis a 2026 sixth-rounder. Minnesota later used that pick in a draft-day deal. For one season of starts, the Colts got production. They decided it was not worth another year.
Blackmon now waits to see if he lands elsewhere. The surprise cut closes his brief run as an Indianapolis starter.
