The Indianapolis Colts claimed running back Matt Jones off of waivers from the Washington Redskins.
Indianapolis needs help with running the ball, and it got the help they needed on Sunday afternoon. With roster cuts having to be announced by 4 p.m. EST on Saturday, teams were making cuts and while the Washington Redskins didn’t want Matt Jones, the Colts were interested.
The former third-round pick out of Florida has had an interesting career so far in the NFL. His rookie year he splashed on the scene with 490 rushing yards and three touchdowns, along with 19 catches for 304 yards and a touchdown in the 13 games he appeared in.
While he had a good rookie year, 2016 wasn’t his friend. His playing time was cut almost in half, going from 13 appearances in 2015 to seven in 2016. His rushing stats were still maintained, though, getting 460 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Hits were what caused him to possibly get waived by the Redskins, as he couldn’t take many without losing the ball, fumbling five times in 2015 and three times in 2016.
The Colts will be happy to grab another running back as they need all the help in the backfield that they can get. With Andrew Luck coming off the PUP list, that could mean he is back sooner than expected. The Colts did trade for Jacoby Brissett on Saturday, though, implying that Luck might miss some time.
Behind Frank Gore, there isn’t much help in the backfield for Indianapolis. Christine Michael was placed on IR, along with George Winn, leaving the team with Marlon Mack and Robert Turbin as the backs behind Gore.
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The Colts open the season on Sunday, Sept. 10 in Los Angeles as they take on the Los Angeles Rams.