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Colts roster preview: Can Jonathan Owens carve out a role on defense?
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- Colts roster preview: Can Jonathan Owens carve out a role on defense?
Between now and training camp, we will be going through the Indianapolis Colts' full 90-man roster, previewing each player.
Up next is safety Jonathan Owens , who wears No. 38.
Profile
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Height: 5-11
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Weight: 204
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Age: 30
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NFL experience: Year 8
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College: Missouri Western State
Jonathan Owens' tenure with the Colts
The Colts signed Owens as a free agent earlier this offseason to a one-year deal worth $1.402 million.
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What to know about Jonathan Owens
Owens has made 35 starts on defense over his career, while appearing in 82 games. The bulk of his playing time defensively came in 2022 and 2023, when Owens made 28 of those starts.
In his first season with Chicago (2024), Owens made five starts and played 427 defensive snaps. He has experience playing both deep safety and down in the box. This past year, he was mostly a special teams contributor, where he's played over 1,000 snaps in his career.
For his career, Owens has two interceptions, 10 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and 295 total tackles.
Looking ahead to 2026 for Jonathan Owens
Owens was among those brought in to compete for the starting safety job next to Cam Bynum, although it sounds like rookie AJ Haulcy is the favorite to earn those snaps. When Owens was signed in free agency, the safety room was still taking shape, but his veteran presence was added to help provide stability in the midst of some turnover.
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Still, Owens is a likely candidate to make the roster, where he could earn snaps in defensive-back-heavy alignments or on special teams.
Although just signed, the Colts can get out of Owens' contract quite easily during roster cutdowns if they choose to go in a different direction. While likely to make the team, he is not a roster lock and will have to perform well this summer. Special teams play is where Owens can differentiate himself from others.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts roster preview: Can Jonathan Owens carve out a role on defense?
