Indianapolis Colts roster cuts live tracker as NFL teams trim to 53 players

INDIANAPOLIS — Everything you need to know as the Colts cut to 53 players:

TUESDAY COLTS ROSTER CUTS:

Injured reserve

>> Samson Ebukam, DE (designated to return)

>> Cameron McGrone, LB (designated to return)

>> Jelani Woods, TE (season-ending)

>> Juwann Winfree, WR (season-ending)

Waived/released

>> Liam Anderson, LB

>> Jonah Laulu, DT

>> Craig Young, LB

>> Austin Ajiake, LB

>> Zavier Scott, RB

>> Jake Witt, T

>> Ameer Speed, CB

>> Eric Johnson, DT

>> Genard Avery, DE

>> Chris Lammons, DB

>> Evan Hull, RB

>> Jason Bean, QB

>> Jaylin Simpson, CB

>> Micah Abraham, CB

>> Eric Tomlinson, TE

>> Jordan Murray, TE

>> Laquon Treadwell, WR

>> D.J. Montgomery, WR

>> Arlington Hambright, OL

>> Titus Leo, DE

Samson Ebukam to injured reserve-designation to return

The Colts plan to place defensive end Samson Ebukam on injured reserve with a designation to return, a league source told IndyStar on Tuesday, leaving open the possibility that Ebukam could return at some point this season.

Ebukam, who led the Colts with 9.5 sacks in his first season in Indianapolis, suffered a torn Achilles tendon on the third day of training camp, an injury that typically knocks out a player for the entire regular season.

But there has been at least one case of a player returning from the injury before the end of the season, and the fact that the Colts carried Ebukam on the 90-man roster throughout training camp indicated this move was a possibility. Former Rams running back Cam Akers tore his Achilles tendon in mid-July, returned to practice on Dec. 23 of that year and played in the regular season finale, as well as the playoffs.

Under a new NFL rule, teams can place two players on injured reserve with a designation to return; teams previously had to carry a player on the 53-man roster for a day, then place them on injured reserve the next day, leading to plenty of other moves.

Indianapolis is also planning to place linebacker Cameron McGrone on injured reserve with a designation to return on Tuesday, a source told IndyStar. McGrone, an Indianapolis native who played at Warren Central, will take the second available spot with a designation to return.

Colts news: Colts Samson Ebukam could return this season despite Achilles injury

Colts place Jelani Woods on season-ending injured reserve

By placing the designation to return on Ebukam and McGrone, the Colts ended up deciding to put third-year tight end Jelani Woods on season-ending injured reserve. Woods underwent surgery last week after suffering a significant turf toe injury, and although a source indicated Woods had a chance to be healthy before the end of the season, the Indianapolis decision ends that possibility.

Colts news: Colts to place TE Jelani Woods on season-ending injured reserve due to toe injury

Indianapolis waives seventh-round draft pick Jonah Laulu

The Colts have waived seventh-round pick Jonah Laulu, a massive nose tackle out of Oklahoma, with the intent to bring him back to the practice squad if he clears waivers. Laulu's cut is not out of the ordinary; at least one draft pick of every one of Chris Ballard's draft classes in Indianapolis has been unable to make the initial 53-man roster as a rookie, either due to injury or a roster crunch at his position.

In Laulu's case, the developmental rookie faced a tough road to the 53-man roster from the start. DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart form one of the NFL's best tandems in the starting lineup, the Colts signed Raekwon Davis to a big deal in free agency and Indianapolis also brought Adetomiwa Adebawore, Taven Bryan and Eric Johnson back at the position after seeing playing time a year ago.

Three former draft picks waived

Johnson, a fifth-round pick by Indianapolis in 2022, also fell victim to the team's glut of depth at the defensive tackle position. The Colts would like to get Johnson back on the practice squad, but the defensive tackle might have options after playing 391 snaps over the past two seasons, mostly at nose tackle. Drafted for his athleticism, Johnson was expected to develop into a backup nose tackle, but he struggled at times against the run, recording 18 tackles, one sack and one tackle-for-loss.

Running back Evan Hull was also waived, presumably losing the competition for the No. 3 spot to Tyler Goodson. Hull, a fifth-round pick in 2023, played in just one game last season before suffering a root MCL tear that cost him the entire season.

Indianapolis also waived Jake Witt, a seventh-round pick in 2023 who was drafted as a developmental player. Witt injured his hip as a rookie and missed the entire season; he'd played left tackle during training camp, and could return to the practice squad as a developmental tackle, depending on his options.

TUESDAY COLTS ROSTER CUTS:

Injured reserve

>> Samson Ebukam, DE (designated to return)

>> Cameron McGrone, LB (designated to return)

>> Jelani Woods, TE (season-ending)

Waived/released

>> Liam Anderson, LB

>> Jonah Laulu, DT

>> Craig Young, LB

>> Austin Ajiake, LB

>> Zavier Scott, RB

>> Jake Witt, T

>> Ameer Speed, CB

>> Eric Johnson, DT

>> Genard Avery, DE

MONDAY COLTS ROSTER CUTS

>> Demetric Felton, RB

>> Mike Panasiuk, OL

>> Levi Bell, DE

>> Michael Tutsie, S

>> Marcel Dabo, S

Indianapolis Colts cut tracker: Who's in, who's out on 53-man NFL roster deadline

SUNDAY COLTS ROSTER CUTS

>> Ronnie Harrison, S

>> Derek Rivers, DE

>> Greg Ward, WR

>> Tyrie Cleveland, WR

>> Spencer Shrader, K

>> Clay Fields, CB

>> Derek Slywka, WR

>> Mike Smith, LB

>> Kedon Slovis, QB

Colts schedule

Sept. 8: vs. Houston, 1 p.m., CBS

Sept. 15: at Green Bay, 1 p.m., FOX

Sept. 22: vs. Chicago, 1 p.m., CBS

Sept. 29: vs. Pittsburgh, 1 p.m., CBS

Oct. 6: at Jacksonville, 1 p.m., CBS

Oct. 13: at Tennessee, 1 p.m., CBS

Oct. 20: vs. Miami, 1 p.m., FOX

Oct. 27: at Houston, 1 p.m., CBS

Nov. 3: at Minnesota, 1 p.m., CBS

Nov. 10: vs. Buffalo, 1 p.m., CBS

Nov. 17: at N.Y. Jets, 8:20 p.m., NBC Peacock

Nov. 24: vs. Detroit, 1 p.m., FOX

Dec. 1: at New England, 1 p.m., CBS

Dec. 15: at Denver, 4:25 p.m., CBS

Dec. 22: vs. Tennessee, 1 p.m., CBS

Dec. 29: at N.Y. Giants, TBD

Jan. 5: vs. Jacksonville, TBD

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis Colts roster cuts live tracker as NFL teams trim to 53 players