Colts re-sign safety Julian Blackmon to a new deal

The Indianapolis Colts re-signed yet another key in-house free agent. 

With the news of this re-signing safety, Julian Blackmon to a new one-year deal to keep him in Indianapolis. 

Blackmon is coming off a career year, and I don't think it's a coincidence that it came after switching to SS for the first time in his career. It's important to note that he was also able to play 15 of the Colts' 17 games last season and appeared to be on the verge of his first complete season before sustaining a shoulder injury in Week 15 that would land the safety on the season-ending IR list.

That injury was unfortunate, but I felt that Blackmon did enough to earn a long-term contract, whether it was with the Colts or elsewhere. But it seems like his market wasn't as lucrative as I expected. This makes me think the shoulder injury might have been a concern to other teams. Blackmon explored his options by taking free agency visits with the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers. And I had a team source share that the Colts felt like the 49ers were there a serious threat to steal Blackmon away. But I'm told that he had the opportunity to sign a one-year "prove it" type deal with the 49ers but chose to return to the Colts instead, to a defense he has experienced success in.

He will now have the opportunity to hit free agency again next year at the age of 26. And if he is able to complete the milestone of playing his first complete season at the high level we saw from him last year, I don't see a way the Colts or someone else wouldn't hand him a long-term deal. This move fills the Colt's need at SS, but I still expect to see moves at FS and CB, whether through free agency or the 2024 NFL Draft.