Indianapolis, IN
From undrafted to starter: Why Dallis Flowers is the wild card in Colts CB picture
Insiders: Colts optimistic about team’s future
Insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins recap Chris Ballard’s season ending press conference.
Clark Wade/IndyStar
INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts have to be much better in the secondary next season.
Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard decided to go young at defensive back last year, and the decision bit the Colts, limiting Gus Bradley’s play-calling options and leaving the defense vulnerable to talented receivers.
How Ballard plans to address the secondary this offseason remains the question. Ballard praised rookie cornerbacks JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones in his postseason news conference, promising to add competition at the same time.
And he offered a reminder that another name is in the mix.
Dallis Flowers.
The second-year cornerback opened the season as the team’s top starter on the outside, then suffered a torn Achilles tendon late in the team’s overtime loss to the Rams, ending what was supposed to be his breakout season after just four games.
“We thought he was playing pretty good,” Ballard said. “Getting Dallis Flowers back will be big.”
Flowers gave up eight completions in 15 attempts for 91 yards in four games, according to Sports Info Solutions, allowing a quarterback rating of 71.8 that would have led the Indianapolis cornerbacks last season.
But a torn Achilles tendon can be difficult to rehabilitate.
“Camp is in July, the end of July, so I’ve got about seven months,” Flowers said at the end of the regular season. “Long as I’m ready for camp, that’s all I’m focused on. I’ll be straight.”
Being back on the field is well within the realm of possibility.
When other Colts have suffered the same injury, they have typically been able to return by the start of the next season.
Being back at full strength is often more difficult. Players who have suffered an Achilles tendon tear typically do not regain the same explosiveness until the second season after the injury, though they can play.
In other words, a player can be back on the field, but they might not be quite the same athlete, at least not right away. For a player like Flowers, whose remarkable athleticism is the reason the Colts believed he could eventually make the leap from undrafted free agent to starting cornerback, that can be a big distinction.
“This is my first real injury,” Flowers said. “It’s new to me.”
Injury is new to Flowers. Adversity is not.
Flowers played basketball and football in high school at Oak-Park River Forest in Illinois, and in part because of his dual-sport status, he was lightly-recruited, leading him to at Robert Morris, an FCS program. He then transferred to Tiffin’s Division II program, moved to the NAIA level with Grand View and finally caught the NFL’s attention at Division II Pittsburg State, leading to a contract with the Colts.
Flowers believes what he learned on the winding road he took to the NFL will serve him well as he attacks his Achilles recovery.
“The tables are always turned against me,” Flowers said. “It’s still kind of natural to me. I’m kind of used to it now.”
Flowers needed to lean on that prior experience when his Achilles tendon tore in OT against L.A., removing him from the lineup as the Rams put together a game-winning drive.
Because the injury came at exactly the wrong time. Undrafted free agents rarely get multiple chances to establish themselves as NFL starters, the kind of reputation that can make or break a player’s career.
“I started to get real comfortable in game three against Baltimore, and game four at home, when the injury happened against the Rams, I was bringing the calls to life,” Flowers said. “It was kind of a breakout game for me on defense, and now I’m just trying to get back and go from there, keep going.”
Flowers will return to a Colts cornerback room that looks very different from the day he got injured.
When Flowers got hurt, it opened the door for Jones, a seventh-round pick, to enter the lineup. Despite his struggles down the stretch, Ballard spoke glowingly about the rookie’s promise at the end of the season. Brents battled injuries as a rookie, but Indianapolis invested a second-round pick in the Warren Central product.
An addition or two is likely coming at the position.
“We’ll add fuel,” Ballard said. “We’ll add some competition to it.”
Flowers first has to get healthy.
Then he will have to prove himself again.
“It’s easy to be negative when something bad happens. I just tried my best to go the other way, go the opposite way. There’s always going be light at the end of the tunnel.”
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives on Friday afternoon asked for help in locating 14-year-old Kathya Rodriguez, last seen on Monday afternoon.
On Friday night, an Indiana Silver Alert was issued for the girl.
Described as 4 feet, 9 inches, and 99 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes, Kathya was last seen on Monday in the area of 2100 Waterford Place. That’s at The Meridian apartments off Westlane Road/West 71st Street on the city’s northwest side.
She was last seen about 12:45 p.m. Monday. She was wearing a gray hoodie with white writing, blue jeans, and sandals with socks.
In a statement Friday, IMPD said early in the investigation, detectives had no information indicating she was in danger, but as the investigation continued, detectives found details that led them to believe Kathya might be at risk.
Detectives believe she may be with Victor Martinez, 15. IMPD described him as 5 feet, 5 inches, and 165 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen Monday near 7200 Knobwood Drive. That’s also at The Meridian apartments.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts was asked to call 911, contact the IMPD missing persons unit at 317-327-6160, or call Crimestoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.
This story was updated from its initial post after IMPD corrected the last name of Kathya.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The Indianapolis City-County Council President plans to propose a data center moratorium on Monday.
President Maggie Lewis, a Democrat, said she plans to introduce an amendment to proposed data center zoning regulations during the Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee meeting on July 13, enacting a moratorium.
“This pause will provide the City-County Council, the administration, industry experts, and community stakeholders the opportunity to fully evaluate the long-term impacts of these developments, including infrastructure demands, utility capacity, environmental considerations, economic outcomes, and neighborhood quality of life,” Lewis said in a statement. “This is not about slowing progress. It is about exercising responsible leadership and ensuring that decisions of this magnitude are made through a thoughtful, transparent, and data-driven process.”
Metropolitan Development Commission (MDC) President John Dillon dismissed the idea of a moratorium when the MDC advanced the data center zoning ordinance, even in the face of dozens of protesters.
The zoning regulations, if approved, would set minimum standards for data center developments in Indianapolis. Critics have said the regulations, as written, are too broad and will only streamline development.
Groups like Citizens Action Coalition have called for a moratorium to allow time to draft more robust restrictions. Lewis echoed similar motivations when announcing her intent to propose the pause on developments.
“Our responsibility is to make informed decisions that serve the best interests of Indianapolis residents,” Lewis said. “Given the significant questions that remain, a deliberate review is both prudent and necessary before moving forward.”
The City-County Council unanimously approved a special resolution on May 4, requesting the MDC temporarily stop approving new data centers. But the resolution isn’t enforceable. Councilman Michael-Paul Hart, a Republican, previously told News 8 the vote was more symbolic to him rather than a real measure to slow development.
A public hearing on the data center zoning regulations is planned at 5:30pm on Monday, July 13, inside the City-County Building at 200 E Washington St in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis, IN
Unsettled Friday and Saturday, then summer heat returns early next week | July 10, 2026
TODAY
Partly sunny and warm with scattered showers and thunderstorms likely through much of the bookends of the day. Highs reach the mid 80s, with a west southwest breeze around 5 mph. It does not look like nonstop rain from start to finish, but this is the least reliable daytime period in the forecast, and any stronger storm could drop a quick heavy downpour with a gusty burst of wind.
TONIGHT
Scattered showers and thunderstorms remain possible through the evening, then another lower-end storm chance lingers late overnight. Lows settle near the upper 60s, with light wind. The severe risk looks lower than it is Thursday night, but a few pockets of heavier rain are still possible if a boundary stalls close enough to central Indiana.
TOMORROW
Mostly cloudy and not quite as hot, with another chance for showers and thunderstorms developing mainly after mid afternoon. Highs reach the low to mid 80s, with a light northeast breeze around 5 mph. Much of the first half of the day should be usable, but later afternoon and evening plans will still need a weather eye.
TOMORROW NIGHT
A few showers and thunderstorms may linger early, then the trend turns quieter with mostly cloudy skies overnight. Lows fall to the upper 60s, with an east northeast breeze around 5 mph. It is a calmer setup than Friday night overall, even if an early interruption is still possible.
SUNDAY
Mostly sunny and warmer with highs in the mid 80s. An east breeze around 5 to 10 mph keeps the day from feeling too stagnant, and this looks like one of the cleaner forecast days of the stretch. Most of central Indiana should stay dry from start to finish.
SUNDAY NIGHT
Mostly clear and seasonably mild, with lows around the mid 60s and a light east northeast breeze. Quiet weather continues overnight with no meaningful travel concerns.
MONDAY
Sunny and hotter, with highs climbing into the upper 80s. A light east wind around 5 mph holds through the day. After the unsettled end of the workweek, this looks like a very usable summer day with heat becoming the main story instead of storms.
MONDAY NIGHT
Mostly clear and warm, with lows near 70 and only a light breeze. There will be little trouble overnight, and the warmer pattern settles in more firmly.
TUESDAY
Sunny and hot again, with highs near 90. Wind stays light, becoming east southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. This is another day where the weather looks broadly quiet, with heat the main thing to plan around.
7 DAY FORECAST
The main concern in the near term is the unsettled Friday into Saturday period, when repeated rounds of showers and thunderstorms could bring quick heavy rain, especially Friday afternoon and evening. After that, the pattern trends warmer and drier from Sunday into at least Tuesday, with highs returning to the upper 80s and lower 90s while heat index values stay more manageable than the late-June heat. By Wednesday and Thursday, isolated afternoon and evening storms begin to creep back into the forecast, with a more noticeable thunderstorm threat showing up later next week into next weekend.
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