Colts rookie 5th round cornerback Darius Rush surprise cut for final 53-man roster

The Indianapolis Colts trimmed down to the required 53-man active roster ahead of Tuesday’s 4 PM EST league-wide deadline:

While there were a number of expected cuts, there was one that certainly raised some eyebrows, rookie 5th round pick Darius Rush out of South Carolina.

The rookie cornerback got off to a slow start in training camp because of a hamstring injury, and later suffered a hip injury in Week 2 of preseason against the Chicago Bears. Perhaps injuries are one of the reasons Rush never truly got comfortable for the Colts this offseason.

He was thought to be a sleeper at cornerback entering training camp because of his physical attributes—namely at 6’2”, 198 pounds, a 4.36 forty time, and 33 3/8” wingspan, compounded with the Colts’ lack of experienced depth at the position.

After all, he was a Senior Bowl standout and was a productive cornerback in the SEC.

However, possibly because of injuries, Rush struggled throughout training camp—although he did have a tipped pick six against the Chicago Bears in joint training camp practice, as well as one during his preseason debut, meaning there were some flashes.

The Colts had some young cornerbacks ahead of Rush in the pecking order, namely Dallis Flowers, DJ Baker, JuJu Brents, and even rookie Jaylon Jones, a rookie 7th round pick, who jumped over Rush on the depth chart through his strong showing in training camp and preseason.

It’s not out of the question that Rush ends up back on the Colts practice squad, once he ultimately clears waivers, but there could be other interested teams—with the Chicago Bears as a team to certainly watch out for from a scheme standpoint.