Last season, the Indianapolis Colts released Ronnie Harrison at the end of the preseason, only to re-sign him to their practice squad. He eventually joined the active roster and played in the final seven games of the season, including three starts.
This season is unfolding similarly for the former Alabama safety. The Colts cut Harrison on August 25 when trimming their roster to the regular-season limit. However, on Wednesday, Indianapolis announced that Harrison had been signed back to their practice squad.
Harrison’s return comes alongside the addition of cornerback Kelvin Joseph to the practice squad, following the placement of starting cornerback JuJue Brents on injured reserve. Brents’ knee injury from the Colts‘ season-opening loss to the Houston Texans may lead to adjustments in the team’s secondary.
Previously, Harrison, with 67 regular-season games as an NFL strong safety, was out of football last year until the Colts signed him mid-training camp to play linebacker. After the release of three-time All-Pro Shaquille Leonard in November, Harrison stepped into a weakside linebacker role.
Harrison made an impact immediately, intercepting a pass in his debut at linebacker during a victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and returning another pick for a touchdown in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He later transitioned back to strong safety, playing 128 defensive snaps in the final two games of the season.
Re-signed by the Colts on March 13, Harrison worked as a free safety during preseason. In three preseason games, he recorded five defensive tackles, three special-teams tackles, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hit.
