Colts re-sign safety Julian Blackmon to 1-year deal

The Colts are keeping the band together for another year.

Indianapolis has signed strong safety Julian Blackmon to a one-year deal, a league source confirmed to IndyStar.

Blackmon was the final starter the Colts had yet to re-sign this offseason. He joins cornerback Kenny Moore II, linebacker Zaire Franklin, defensive tackle Grover Stewart, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., defensive end Tyquan Lewis, punter Rigoberto Sanchez and a number of others in landing contracts.

Colts free agency tracker: Signings, re-signings and players lost

Blackmon looked around the league in free agency because his market situation was unique. He was coming off his best season yet with 88 tackles and a team-high four interceptions after a move to strong safety, and he was just 25 years old. But with two major leg injuries in four seasons, plus a safety market bloated by the releases of All-Pro Justin Simmons and Pro Bowler Quandre Diggs, it became difficult for Blackmon and any team to pinpoint his value.

The Colts re-engaged in talks with Blackmon last week and began making progress toward what is now a one-year deal.

The Colts have been betting on Blackmon ever since he tore his ACL in Utah’s bowl game three months before the 2020 NFL Draft. Indianapolis took him in the third round anyway, and he rehabbed in time to play an impressive rookie season with 15 games, 14 starts and two interceptions.

But an Achilles tear just six games into his sophomore campaign derailed the progress for one of the most athletic players on the team. Blackmon missed the rest of the 2021 season and though he came back in time to play 14 games in 2022, he needed time to regain his former skill set and wound up trading playing time at free safety with Rodney Thomas II.

Last year, the Colts needed a strong safety following the departure of Rodney McLeod and turned to Blackmon. He turned in his best season, playing all over the back end of one of the youngest secondaries in the league and leading the group in interceptions and passes defended.

He missed the final two games due to a shoulder injury, and the Colts became desperate enough to move Ronnie Harrison Sr. from linebacker to strong safety to try to plug the gap. They felt Blackmon's absence in a loss to C.J. Stroud and the Texans that ended the Colts season one game short of the playoffs at 9-8.

Blackmon is signing a one-year deal so he can test the market again next spring, when he'll only be 26 years old but will have a second year under his belt at the strong safety position. He has ended two of four seasons injured, so the Colts have ensured the position by bringing back Harrison on a one-year deal.

In rolling back Blackmon and so many other pieces of last year’s team, the Colts are betting on their nucleus to develop around quarterback Anthony Richardson, who missed all but four games with a sprained AC joint. So far, the only outside free agents they have added are backup quarterback Joe Flacco and backup defensive tackle Raekwon Davis.

Blackmon will maintain a critical role, as the Colts are currently slated to start three secondary players on rookie contracts around him and Moore.

Indianapolis could look to add a free safety to play next to Blackmon or could turn the reins over to Nick Cross, who stepped in as the starter late last season. The same goes at outside cornerback, where JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones flashed ups and downs as rookies and Dallis Flowers is coming off an Achilles tear.

Contact Nate Atkins at natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts sign safety Julian Blackmon to 1-year deal in NFL free agency