Colts Defender Receives Strong Statement from Gus Bradley

The Indianapolis Colts' defensive coordinator sounded off.

Indianapolis Colts safety Nick Cross (20) jogs up the field Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, ahead of the game against the Detroit Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's been a regular season full of ups and downs for the 6-7 Indianapolis Colts on the defensive side of the ball. However, through the turbulence, one player in the mix shone among this unit as one of the most impactful and important pieces.

That player is third-year safety Nick Cross. After an impressive 13 games this season, the Colts' third-rounder from 2022 is getting the due credit he deserves from both his teammates and coaching staff.

During defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's media availability ahead of the Colts' upcoming bout vs. the Denver Broncos, he dove into the type of year he's seen from Cross during his third season in the Indianapolis secondary, and his comments were nothing short of encouraging.

"Nick Cross has been a player-- not to go too at length with him-- he's a player that everyone trusts," Bradley said. "He's back there now, he understands the defense. He knows where he needs to be. He's playing more consistent, and you're seeing us getting him more and more closer to the action because of that. So, he's gaining the trust of his teammates. He's been playing pretty consistently for us, both in the run and the pass game, and we like the progress that he's making."

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Cross has had a third year in Indianapolis that shines as his best during his short time in the NFL. Through 13 games, Cross has already smashed through his career-best numbers, posting 125 total tackles, five tackles for loss, three passes defended, and generated three turnovers (two interceptions, one forced fumble).

The trust Cross has collected in those around him has been well presented in his snap share. The third-year safety has played in 100% of the Colts' defensive snaps this season in all but one game, that being when Indianapolis fell short to the Green Bay Packers, a game where Cross had 99% of the game's snaps.

He's been consistent, impactful, and shows no signs of slowing down through the final quarter of the season. For the Colts to climb the ladder and get their aspired spot in the postseason, Cross will have to continue his dominance of the Indianapolis secondary in both the run and passing game. And if you ask anyone in the building, they have no shortage of confidence in the 23-year-old's ability.

Cross will have his next chance to keep building on an already impressive year on Sunday, December 15th, when the Colts travel to take on one of the most critical games of the year vs. the Broncos in Mile High.

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