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Colts safety Julian Blackmon out for season after torn Achilles

Indianapolis Colts safety Julian Blackmon suffered a torn Achilles in practice on Wednesday and will miss the rest of the season, the team announced on Thursday morning.

The injury is the second significant one Blackmon has suffered, following an ACL tear he suffered while at Utah in 2019.

Blackmon had 34 total tackles and forced one fumble in the Colts’ first six games of the season. The second-year safety was just eight tackles away from matching the mark he set during his rookie season.

“He’s done a really good job … I think [in your] second year you’re always a little bit better because everything slows down for him a little bit in terms of the game,” defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said Tuesday. “He understands where he fits into the defense, and he’s been in multiple situations, so he’s had the ability to file those away and learn from those.”

Blackmon, despite tearing his ACL during the Pac-12 championship game, was selected by the Colts in the third round of the 2020 draft and made 14 starts as a rookie. He finished that campaign with 42 tackles and two interceptions.

Blackmon will now be the 20th player that the Colts have placed on injured reserve since training camp started. They will likely have to add a safety to their roster soon, too, as they have just three — Khari Willis, George Odum and Andrew Sendejo — at that position without Blackmon.

The Colts, who are coming off a 31-3 win over the Houston Texans last week, are set to take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night.