The NFL has made its call on Cam Taylor-Britt, and it’s going to cost the Indianapolis Colts cornerback his season opener.

The league announced Friday that Taylor-Britt has been suspended one game without pay for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, a decision tied directly to a driving incident from last year. This sets him back roughly $62,500 in lost pay, and he will miss the Week 1 game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Taylor-Britt was arrested in Cincinnati last year for reckless driving and driving without a valid license, both separate incidents. He took a plea deal in January 2026, with his attorney pushing for community service. But a Hamilton County judge gave him five days in jail instead.

Reckless driving is a misdemeanor in Ohio and carries a maximum of 30 days behind bars.

The cornerback remains eligible to practice throughout training camp and play in all three preseason games, but won’t be allowed around the team during the week of the season opener itself, according to the Cincinnati Sun. This throws a wrinkle in what was supposed to be a prove-it year for Taylor-Britt.

Last season was a down year for him. A Lisfranc injury to his left foot limited him to eight games and cost him his starting job to D.J. Turner II in Week 11. He ended up recording only 12 total tackles that year. However, Taylor-Britt also admitted that he wasn’t in the right mindset last season.

“I couldn’t get my head right, and it showed in my game,” he said at a presser after signing with the Colts.

At the peak of his career, Taylor-Britt was the No. 1 corner for the Cincinnati Bengals. He started in every game he played in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, emerging as a solid player in Lou Anarumo defense. However, he started in only two of the eight games he played last year. Anarumo even benched him twice in that span.

After he was sentenced, Cam Taylor-Britt said that he’d like to stay in Cincinnati after his rookie contract expired. However, he was also up for a change of scenery, which eventually brought him to Indianapolis. He was brought for only a year, with a $1.4 million payout. Cam Taylor-Britt went from being one of the Bengals’ key pieces to fighting for a roster spot, all within a year.

Even though he gets to suit up for a team this season, it will not be easy for him.

Cam Taylor-Britt needs to give his all at Indianapolis

The only advantage Taylor-Britt has is his familiarity with Anarumo, who is now the Colts’ defensive coordinator. But he will have to clear a logjam to make it to a respectable spot in the depth chart, which will still keep him behind Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward, and Justin Walley.

Taylor-Britt will have to fight Johnathan Edwards, Mekhi Blackmon, Jaylon Jones and Cameron Mitchell to get there. They all bring different sets of ups and downs to the fight: Edwards seems like a promising candidate, but is only in his second year in the league, while Blackmon will play his third year after starting 11 games for the Colts last year.

But Cam Taylor-Britt was confident he will be able to contribute.

“I bring that athleticism. I feel like I bring a different vibe from the other guys, they’re very dynamic in every way,” Taylor-Britt said. So most definitely I feel like I can fit in and bring my physicalness and then some ball skills, man.”

A window has opened up for him in training camp. Ward is sitting out of practice with a hip injury and was replaced by Taylor-Britt, as noted by Noah Compton. He noted that there were a lot of “strong coverage” reps that day, with lots of energy.

The real question in his first season with the Colts is whether a reunion with Anarumo, who now runs Indianapolis’ defence, is enough to get back the player Cincinnati saw in 2023 and 2024.