INDIANAPOLIS — A pair of young Colts battling for spots left Saturday night’s preseason game against the Cardinals due to injuries.

Cornerback JuJu Brents suffered a nose injury that knocked him out of the game, and tight end Jelani Woods suffered a toe injury, was initially designated as questionable to return and eventually ruled out of the game.

Brents’s participation in the game was something of a surprise in the first place. The 2023 second-round pick has consistently played with the starting defense during training camp, and most of the rest of the Indianapolis starters did not play at all against Arizona.

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But Brents was forced to miss the preseason opener due to a shoulder injury, and the Colts decided to play him at one outside cornerback spot, flanking Dallis Flowers. Brents made one tackle and incurred a penalty for pass interference before the nose injury knocked him out of the game.

What does Jelani Woods' toe injury do to his chances of making roster

Woods has been facing greater stakes than Brents.

Indianapolis brings back all four of the tight ends who played in Woods’s absence last season, and the former third-round pick has spent most of his time with the second and third-team offenses in training camp, apparently placing Woods on the roster bubble.

Colts veterans Mo Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson did not play on Saturday night, a sign that both have made the team, likely leaving two spots for Woods, Drew Ogletree and Will Mallory. Woods opened the game on the field, but he suffered the toe injury in the first half and did not get much of a chance to make an impression.

Jelani Woods stats

Woods had 312 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns on 25 catches as a rookie in 2022 but missed all of last season due to his hamstrings.

JuJu Brents stats

Brents started eight games as a rookie with 43 tackles, 6 passes defensed and 1 interception. He missed six games due to a quad injury, he also missed time before the season due to wrist and hamstring injuries.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts Jelani Woods, JuJu Brents injury updates: TE, CB leave game