Pierre Desir Returns to Face a Very Different Indianapolis Colts Team with Philip Rivers
Overshadowed by the 0-2 start, the New York Jets Week 3 game at the Indianapolis Colts is a homecoming of sorts for cornerback Pierre Desir. The seven-year pro played the last three seasons with the Colts before signing in New York this past offseason.
“I wouldn’t lie and say that there isn't some type of feeling going back to Indy,” Desir told reporters in a virtual press conference on Wednesday. “I gave three years there. I have some attachment to the city, the fans were awesome. But for me, I just gotta make sure I don't let those emotions overcome what I need to do. I still have a job to do. I still got to go out and perform. But it's definitely something in the back of my mind”
Desir has struggled in the early going of his first season with the Jets. He was benched during the loss at the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. Last Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, Desir started the game on the bench and came in when Quincy Wilson was injured and recorded an interception.
“For me, it's going to try and get on track,” Desir said. “You know, we are down 0-2. Doing everything I can to help the team. Working every day as a defense and fix the things that would need to be fixed.”
The 30-year-old Desir joined the Jets during the offseason early in the free-agent period. After a disappointing 2019, he was a surprising cut this offseason and the Jets, in need of a cornerback, made the move.
He had been heading into the second year of a three-year, $22.85 million extension he signed with the Colts in 2019, one year after having his best season at cornerback.
The Colts have a new quarterback this season. Philip Rivers starts now in Indianapolis and offers a different challenge from Desir’s former teammates Andrew Luck and Jacoby Brissett.
“It does look different,” Desir explained. “You see a lot more zone runs. You see Rivers get the ball out very quickly. So we just got to be on our keys. We have to make sure that when we do get the opportunity to get to him, make it count because he has one of the fastest releases in the league. We just gotta do our job.”
