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Nov 19, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears safety Daniel Scott (32) intercepts a pass intended for Stanford Cardinal tight end Benjamin Yurosek (84) during the fourth quarter at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Colts' Daniel Scott Receives Rare Third Chance to Make Impression

Originally posted on Indianapolis Colts on SI
By Zach Hicks | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 4:17 PM ET

The NFL has long been coined as the "Not For Long" league due to the brutal nature of turnover in the sport. Players aren't afforded long leashes, and it is exceedingly rare for non-top-100 draft selections to get a third chance to make an impression with a team. Despite all the odds, however, safety Daniel Scott is back for his third shot with the Indianapolis Colts.

Scott wasn't a highly regarded rookie for the Colts, as the team selected him with the 158th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. A day three pick that late is often seen as an early shot at undrafted free agency, so he was hardly a player that the Colts were going to be relying on from day one. That isn't to say that the Colts had no interest in the California safety, however, as Chris Ballard has raved about him every second he could over the past two summers.

"I think he’s got a chance to play, too. I mean, this guy is an instinctive, athletic, fast
player. We think it’s going to help him. Adds depth to the position." Ballard said about Scott after draft night. "A guy we’ve kind of been following the whole time through the process and liking every step along the way. He adds great depth, and I think he’ll compete. I think he’ll be in the mix to compete, to play."

Cal DB Daniel Scott was all over this pic.twitter.com/d5o9pFfRWU
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) February 1, 2023

The Colts' safety depth heading into 2023 was far from perfect, and Scott, despite his lower draft status, had a chance to get some real run on the defense as a rookie. Unfortunately, that dream was short-lived, as Scott tore his ACL in minicamp prior to his rookie season. He spent his entire first season on injured reserve and returned to the practice field nearly a year later.

Scott was back on the field in 2024 with yet another chance to make a name for himself in a weaker Colts' safety room. Shane Steichen even laid out some praise for the second-year safety prior to offseason workouts, calling Scott a "smart player" with a "hell of a future (in the NFL)." He notably made a dazzling interception in the first few days of spring practices that caused the coaches to take notice.

Unfortunately for Scott, that success would yet again be short-lived. He would tear his Achilles just a few days later, ending his second season before the preseason games even kicked off. The Colts did show some loyalty to the young safety, electing to keep him on injured reserve again without waiving him with an injury settlement. That type of thing is quite rare for a former day-three pick coming off of back-to-back missed seasons.

Flash forward to today, and Scott is now a 26-year-old former day three pick who has yet to even see the field in a preseason game at this point in his career. He missed all of the Colts' spring practices this year due to that Achilles injury from last offseason, but he is on pace to return at some point during training camp. The player that Ballard and Steichen once raved about in camp appears to have one last chance to make a mark with the Colts.

Daniel Scott is a player that could be a potential day three target for the Packers.

Six interceptions over the past two years. 600-plus career ST snaps. Was CAL's ST MVP in 2019.

He'll have to clean up his tackling, but he could make an immediate impact on STs for any team. pic.twitter.com/fEbgbjR42z
— Brennen Rupp (@Brennen_Rupp) February 2, 2023

It would be nothing short of a miracle if Scott were to emerge as a producer for the Colts this season, as Achilles injuries are notably hard to recover from, and he's already missed so much time in the league. That being said, the Colts have shown a surprising amount of patience (even by their standards) in Scott thus far, so there is something that continues to draw them to the athletic safety.

It is officially put up or shut up time for Scott, and the hope is that he can take advantage of a rare third opportunity with the team that drafted him. Personally, as someone that was a massive fan of his play at California as a prospect, I hope that he defies the odds and finds a role with the Colts going forward.