A former Green Bay Packers offensive tackle is back on an NFL active roster, giving Packers fans a familiar name to track as the 2026 season begins.
The Indianapolis Colts promoted Luke Tenuta from the practice squad to the 53-man roster Tuesday. The move came just days before Indianapolis opens the year against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Colts created the spot by waiving cornerback Jaylon Jones. They also added tight end Kenny Fletcher Jr. to the practice squad.
“The Indianapolis Colts today signed tackle Luke Tenuta to the 53-man roster from the practice squad and waived cornerback Jaylon Jones,” the team announced. “The team also signed tight end Kenny Fletcher Jr. to the practice squad.”
Tenuta is listed at 6-foot-8 and 314 pounds. That frame stood out during his stretch in Green Bay, where he spent parts of three seasons in the organization.
Buffalo selected him in the sixth round, 209th overall, of the 2022 draft out of Virginia Tech. The Bills cut him after training camp. Indianapolis claimed him, then waived him in mid-October.
Green Bay claimed Tenuta off waivers on Oct. 18, 2022. The Packers kept him on the roster through the 2023 season and into the following training camp.
He appeared in three regular-season games for Green Bay in 2022. He logged seven offensive snaps and 18 special-teams snaps.
Those seven offensive snaps all came in the final minutes of a 41-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 1, 2023. With the Packers leading 41-10, Tenuta took over at right tackle to close out the game.
An ankle injury in Green Bay’s 2023 preseason opener sent him to injured reserve for the entire regular season. He returned the next year and worked at both right guard and right tackle in camp.
The Packers released him during final roster cuts on Aug. 27, 2024. Tenuta then joined the Arizona Cardinals practice squad before signing a reserve/future contract with Indianapolis in January 2025.
He played in four games for the Colts last season. That brought his career total to seven appearances and zero starts.
Indianapolis released him again on Aug. 31, then signed him back to the practice squad the same day. A little more than a week later, the team promoted him.
From a Packers perspective, the move highlights the value of those midseason waiver claims and the extra development time given to long, raw tackles. Tenuta received his first NFL offensive snaps in Green Bay.
The Colts entered the week thin at tackle behind starters Bernhard Raimann and Jalen Travis. Adding Tenuta gives them another big body for depth heading into Week 1.
Jones, a 2023 seventh-round pick out of Texas A&M, had appeared in 44 games with 29 starts. He recorded 157 tackles, including 108 solo stops, along with 21 passes defensed and two interceptions over three seasons.
Tenuta remains a reserve for now. At his size and with the persistence he has shown since leaving Green Bay, he has earned another opportunity to stay on a 53-man roster.
Packers fans who followed his time here will recognize the path: claim, limited snaps, injury setback, release, and another chance elsewhere. For Tenuta, that chance now comes with Indianapolis as the regular season starts.
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