The Indianapolis Colts’ preseason ended with a 25-16 home loss to the Detroit Lions, and while the final score didn’t matter nearly as much as the tape, it gave the team plenty to sort through before roster cuts. The Colts finished 0-2-1, and the game offered a clearer picture of who helped their stock and who took a hit at the worst possible time.
Some young defenders looked ready to contribute right away, while others are still very much a work in progress. The loss also put a spotlight on how thin the offensive line is, especially at center. But for a few players fighting for jobs, this was more than just another preseason game - it was a chance to make a last impression.
Rob Carter Jr. had the kind of outing cornerbacks can’t afford this late in camp. The Colts may still need to search the waiver wire for help at the position, especially with Sauce Gardner, Justin Walley, and Charvarius Ward all carrying injury concerns.
Carter had already looked like a player on the fringe, but against Detroit he was repeatedly targeted and exposed. The Lions went after him over and over, and two scoring drives featured him as the primary defender.
Jaylon Jones also had a rough day, though he still appears headed for the roster, with Cam Taylor-Britt and possibly Jonathan Edwards rounding out the group. Even after cutting Mekhi Blackmon, it’s clear the Colts are not comfortable with where things stand at corner.
Easton Stick didn’t do much to change his outlook either. He was always a long shot to stick unless Anthony Richardson Sr. was traded or cut, but Saturday gave him a real opportunity to make noise.
He ended up throwing the most passes on the team and finished 8 of 15 for 78 yards. That line didn’t help his case much in a quarterback situation that has been anything but settled.
With Riley Leonard struggling and Richardson being Richardson, this was a chance for Stick to climb into the conversation. Instead, he’s back on the outside looking in, and even the idea of someone rolling the dice on Richardson now feels like a practice squad-level possibility at best.
DJ Giddens entered the offseason looking like a roster lock, but Seth McGowan’s surge changed the picture fast. Giddens doesn’t bring the same power or physical edge as the seventh-round rookie, and his pass protection has become a real issue.
One missed blitz pickup stood out in particular, leaving Riley Leonard exposed on a play that ended in an interception. Leonard could have made a better read and throw, but Giddens didn’t do him any favors.
With Jonathan Taylor set to handle as many touches as he can, there wasn’t much room for Giddens anyway. Add in the time he’s missed with an injury and Ulysses Bentley IV emerging as the best passing-down option, and Giddens now looks like the odd man out.
In Other News...
Colts Just Put Two Bubble Players In A Tough Spot
With the Colts closing in on their 2026 roster cut deadline, the front office quietly added another piece to the interior offensive line by dealing a 2027 sixth-round pick to Buffalo for center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger. The move gives Indianapolis a deeper answer behind Tanor Bortolini and adds a player the team clearly views as capable of handling backup center duties if needed.
The timing of the trade makes the ripple effect hard to miss for the players fighting to stay on the bubble. Dalton Tucker and Jimmy Morrissey were already trying to carve out a place in a crowded competition, and Van Pran-Grangers arrival only tightens the squeeze as the Colts sort through their final decisions. For players on the margin, a late addition like this can change the math quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Suddenly Have A Serious Offseason Addition Problem
Keenan Allens arrival was supposed to give the Colts a proven veteran target and a quick boost to a passing game looking for reliability. Instead, just days after being signed following his release from the Chargers, the receiver is now at the center of an offseason problem the team did not need, with his arrest on preliminary charges of DWI and DWI endangering a person coming shortly after he played in a preseason game.
The Colts have acknowledged the incident and are gathering more information, leaving the organization in an awkward spot with a player it brought in earlier this month to help steady the offense. For a team trying to make one of its late-summer additions count, the next steps matter just as much as the reason Allen was added in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Trade Gamble Raises Bigger Questions About Chris Ballards Defensive Plan
The Colts made a surprising swap this week, sending linebacker Zaire Franklin to the Packers in exchange for defensive lineman Colby Wooden. On paper, it looked like a straightforward roster reshuffle, the kind of move a front office makes when it thinks it can address one spot while trimming another.
But the real intrigue is what comes next for Indianapolis. Reports indicate Wooden is expected to be released as part of roster cuts, which would leave the Colts with no lasting return for Franklin and add more uncertainty to a defense already facing questions about how it plans to rebuild the inside linebacker group and strengthen the line. For a team trying to define Chris Ballards defensive blueprint, the trade only deepens the conversation. [Read more 🡒]