The Indianapolis Colts are churning the bottom of their 90-man roster again. Next up under the microscope is safety Juanyeh Thomas. He wears number 33. At 6-foot-3 and 217 pounds, the 26-year-old Georgia Tech product certainly looks the part. But looks do not pay the bills in the NFL. This is year four for him, and the clock is ticking.
Thomas landed in Indy on a one-year, $1.33 million flier. That is pocket change in this league. Undrafted in 2022, he spent his formative years in Dallas. He was a nobody who became a useful nobody, grinding his way onto the field.
Last year was weird. He played only seven games. Migraines wrecked his second half of the season, though he claims those neurological red flags are behind him now. Before the headaches started, Dallas actually trusted him. He started three games between Weeks 5 and 9. Over 156 coverage snaps, quarterbacks mostly ignored him. He was targeted just three times, giving up a measly nine yards per catch. He does not force turnovers, but he does not get burned either. He has four pass breakups on 21 career targets.
He is versatile. He plays free safety but can drop into the box or cover the nickel. “I play fast,” Thomas bragged earlier this offseason. “I’m very, very smart. Once I have a read on something, I just go.”
Indy wants to see if Dallas left any meat on the bone. He is technically competing for the starting gig next to Cam Bynum. Do not hold your breath, though. Rookie AJ Haulcy is already the darling of the coaching staff and the favorite to win the job. Thomas is likely fighting for a backup role in dime packages or on special teams. He has 724 career special teams snaps. That is his golden ticket.
Nothing is guaranteed. The Colts can dump his contract with zero financial hangover during final cuts. He is not safe. He has to grind this summer. If he cannot cover kicks, he is gone.
