The Indianapolis Colts do not get much room to breathe to open the 2026 season, and that’s exactly why a fast start looms so large.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder pointed to the schedule in his Colts training camp preview, and it’s hard to miss the challenge waiting right away. Indianapolis opens against Baltimore and Kansas City, which means Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are on deck before the Colts can settle in.
The early stretch only gets more demanding from there. In Week 3, the Colts face the Houston Texans and a defense Holder described as highly disruptive. CJ Stroud and Nico Collins have also given Indianapolis problems.
After that comes a trip to London to play Washington, then a road game at Pittsburgh. Three of the first five games are away from home, and the London trip comes without an immediate bye week afterward.
Holder also flagged a broader pattern that makes the opening month feel even more important. "Indianapolis has a tendency for slow starts; the Colts have managed a winning record after the first month just once in the past five seasons," wrote Holder. "That has often put significant stress on the team during the second half of the season."
That history matters because a sluggish beginning would pile even more pressure on a team already carrying plenty into the year. The Colts have had trouble when games become must-win late in the season, and a rough opening could put them in that same position again.
Holder put it plainly: "Jacksonville and Houston have demonstrated they are formidable," Holder wrote. "A slow start could put Indy's division hopes in peril."
In Other News...
Two Colts Additions Already Look In Trouble Before Camp Begins
Before training camp even opens, the Colts already have a couple of roster battles worth watching, and ESPNs Stephen Holder has put some early pressure on two offseason additions. In his projected 53-man roster, he leans toward keeping Laquon Treadwell at wide receiver because of his experience and special teams value, a sign that the back end of the roster may be decided as much by reliability as upside.
The same kind of squeeze appears to be building at safety, where the competition is crowded enough that every snap and every special teams rep could matter. Holders forecast reflects how little separation there may be right now, and it leaves the Colts with one more preseason question than they probably expected when those additions arrived. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Are Getting Hit With A Roster Criticism Fans Will Debate
The Colts roster is drawing a familiar kind of criticism this time of year, the sort that usually starts with a glance at the depth chart and ends with a debate about whether a team has enough young talent to keep pace. Indianapolis has plenty of recent draft picks and a handful of young starters in the mix, but the conversation around this group is really about how quickly those players can turn projection into production once camp jobs start getting sorted out.
CJ Allen is part of that larger picture as the projected starting MIKE linebacker, while A.J. Haulcy, Hunter Wohler and Bryce Boettcher all fit into a defense that is still sorting out where its next wave of contributors will land. On offense, Tyler Warren is expected to take on a larger role as the Colts try to replace what they lost from Michael Pittman Jr., and Anthony Richardson Sr. remains in a complicated spot as he competes with Riley Leonard for the QB2 job behind Daniel Jones, adding another layer to a roster debate that is far from settled. [Read more 🡒]
Alec Pierce Faces The Colts Season That Changes Everything
Alec Pierces next season in Indianapolis comes with a very different kind of weight after the Colts handed him a four-year, $114 million extension and cleared the path for him to become the offenses lead wideout. He has already shown the kind of downfield ability that makes him valuable in this system, and Pro Football Focus has him sitting just outside the top 20 at his position, a sign that the league is starting to view him as more than a complementary target.
What happens next matters because Pierce is no longer being paid like a role player, and the Colts are treating him like a receiver who should help define the passing game. A strong year could push him into the 15-20 range in those PFF rankings, which would be a meaningful jump for a player whose production has still left room for more. For Indianapolis, the question is whether Pierce can turn that promise into the kind of season that changes his standing around the NFL. [Read more 🡒]