INDIANAPOLIS - Colts training camp is about to bring a handful of real roster fights to Grand Park, and a few of them could shape the way Shane Steichen’s fourth season starts to take form.
The most obvious tug-of-war sits at backup quarterback. Anthony Richardson Sr. is part of the conversation, though there’s also the question of whether he’s still on the roster by the end of camp and preseason.
Richardson has a notable roster bonus due on the third day of camp, which could affect how his situation is viewed league wide. In the spring, Richardson and Riley Leonard split the starting reps while Daniel Jones was held out.
With Jones expected back, the second-team work could end up being split between Richardson and Leonard, though those chances will be limited compared with what the Colts used in the spring. If the team goes that route, both could still see plenty of preseason game snaps.
Another spot with plenty of movement is the third wide receiver job. Michael Pittman Jr.’s departure has opened up snaps behind Alec Pierce and Josh Downs, and Ashton Dulin looked like the early leader coming out of spring.
Laquon Treadwell and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine are also in the mix. This battle could also change if the Colts bring in another free agent, especially if Pierce’s ankle ailment hangs around into August.
Rookie Deion Burks is another name worth watching to see whether he can push for time.
Up front, Laiatu Latu is set as the starter on one edge, but the job opposite him is still unsettled. The competition appears to be between Arden Key and 2024 second-round pick Jaylahn Tuimoloau.
The Colts didn’t do much at defensive end this offseason, which says a lot about how much they’re counting on those two. Key seemed to get the more frequent first-team reps in the spring, and the arrival of full pads at Grand Park could change the picture.
Safety is another spot that could go to a player who has never taken an NFL snap. Based on how spring went, the favorite next to Cam Bynum is third-round rookie A.J.
Haulcy, who made a strong impression on the coaching staff. Hunter Wohler, a 7 th round pick from 2024, is also in the conversation after getting plenty of work during the spring offseason program while coming back from a Lisfranc foot injury suffered last August.
Veterans Juanyeh Thomas and Johnathan Owens could still factor in as well.
And then there’s kicker, where the Colts are set for a legitimate competition. For the second year in a row, they’ll sort out the position at camp, but this one carries a different feel.
Spencer Shrader’s right kicking leg appears healthy enough for him to kick after doing some work during June minicamp. On that day, Blake Grupe went a perfect 5-of-5, while Shrader finished 3-of-5.
Shrader is still working all the way back, so that kind of split makes sense, but kicking battles don’t get judged the same way as other positions. Every period matters.
In Other News...
Colts May Have Found Their Answer In The Middle Of Defense
The Colts defense is already looking ahead to 2026, and one of the more intriguing names in that conversation is rookie linebacker CJ Allen. A second-round pick out of Georgia, Allen arrives with the kind of pedigree that can fast-track a young defender into real responsibility, especially when a team is trying to identify who can grow into a central role in the middle of the field.
What makes Allen worth watching is not just the draft slot, but the way Indianapolis seems positioned to lean on him sooner rather than later. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has already shown confidence in the rookie, and that matters for a unit looking for stability and leadership in the middle. The Colts may not be ready to hand him the whole job yet, but the opening is there, and Allen has the profile to turn it into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
The Voices Behind Philip Rivers' Colts Return Will Surprise Fans
When Daniel Jones went down with an Achilles injury in Week 14, the Colts suddenly needed a veteran answer, and Philip Rivers emerged as the unexpected one. The move brought Rivers back out of retirement after a five-year layoff, and it also reconnected him with familiar voices in Shane Steichen and Frank Reich, two coaches who knew him well from his Chargers days and helped shape the conversation around whether a comeback made sense.
Rivers ultimately took the ball for three games against playoff teams and kept Indianapolis in the fight more often than not, which made the late-season detour feel more like a real football decision than a nostalgia play. Even without a postseason trip, the return added another strange and memorable chapter to a quarterback career that seemed finished, then suddenly was not, and it left plenty of room to wonder what the next step might be. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Decision On Kenny Moore II Suddenly Looks Very Different
When the Colts moved on from Kenny Moore II, it was framed as part of a broader reset in the secondary, a chance to get younger, cheaper and more flexible on defense. The decision also cleared nearly $10 million in cap space, but it came with a clear football cost: Moore was still one of the more proven nickelbacks in the league, with Pro Bowl credentials and years of experience in a role that has become central to how Indianapolis wants to play.
Now the Colts are proceeding without him, and the early plan says a lot about how much theyre asking of the next wave. Justin Walley and Austin Brown are expected to handle most of the nickel work, with rookie A.J. Haulcy and Cam Bynum also rotating in. That is a very different look from the one Moore provided, and it leaves the Colts betting that their revamped approach can hold up even as one of the more familiar pieces of the defense remains on the outside looking in. [Read more 🡒]