Colts release safety Ronnie Harrison Jr.

As early roster cuts continue around the league, Ronnie Harrison Jr. is among the players being let go by the Colts. The veteran safety was released on Sunday, per a team announcement.

Harrison spent the 2023 campaign with Indianapolis, making seven appearances and three starts. The 27-year-old notched a pair of interceptions while logging a 51 percent snap share on defense. He was also a contributor on special teams, something which helped him land a new Colts deal in March.

That pact was for the veteran’s minimum and did not include any guaranteed money. As a result, this move will not create any dead cap charges for the Colts as they move forward with questions looming in the secondary. Julian Blackmon — who re-signed in Indianapolis after a lengthy free-agent spell — is a lock for one starting role on the back end. Who joins him as the other safety remains to be seen, and Harrison had seen time with the first-team defense during training camp.

Others in that regard included Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas II, and attention will now turn to their respective places in the safety pecking order. The former entered the league with high expectations as a third-rounder in 2022, but he has only made four starts to date. The latter, by contrast, has started 25 contests over his two seasons in the league. Thomas logged a defensive snap share of 82 percent in 2023, and even if Harrison is brought back via the practice squad, he is likely to once again play a large role this year.

Harrison is a vested veteran, so he will not need to clear waivers upon being let go. The former Jaguar and Brown will therefore be able to sign with any interested team immediately; failing that, he could rejoin the Colts via their taxi squad later this week. 

The team did not show interest in Justin Simmons, and an outside safety addition is not expected at this point. With or without Harrison in the fold, the Blackmon-Thomas-Cross trio will be used heavily in 2024.