The Indianapolis Colts head into camp with a few big questions hanging over a team that has been remarkably steady under Shane Steichen. Over the last three seasons, they’ve stacked up nine wins, then eight, then eight again, and year four now feels like a turning point for everyone in the building.
The biggest issue starts at quarterback, where Daniel Jones is still the name that drives the conversation. A Week 14 injury last season knocked the Colts off course and, in the end, wrecked any real chance at a run.
Even so, the team’s commitment to Jones says plenty: he got a two-year deal worth upwards of $100 million with incentives, which makes him look like the long-term answer for now. He’ll also enter camp under the same kind of spotlight as Texans quarterback C.J.
Stroud in the AFC South.
There’s also a clear ripple effect from the move the Colts made at receiver. Michael Pittman is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and that opens the door for rookie tight end Tyler Warren to take on even more.
Warren already turned in an excellent season, finishing with 76 catches, which was second on the team. With Pittman gone, his role should grow, and he could become the safety valve Jones leans on while getting fully healthy.
If things break right, that catch total could climb into triple digits in 2026.
That leaves the Colts with another unresolved piece: who steps into the WR2 role and actually claims it? Alec Pierce is the most obvious candidate after moving up the depth chart, and now the pressure is on him to justify the four-year, $114 million contract.
The Colts clearly view him as a serious deep threat, and they made the call to keep him over Pittman. Still, Pierce had 33 fewer catches than Pittman last season, so this is a spot that needs real separation, not just potential.
In Other News...
Colts Just Got Pulled Into Another Quarterback Debate Fans Dread
The Colts have spent enough time trying to sort out their quarterback future without inviting another complicated name into the mix, and that is why the latest speculation feels more like a distraction than a solution. Indianapolis is still weighing what comes next behind Anthony Richardson, while Riley Leonard has at least given the staff a cheaper, cleaner option to consider for the backup job.
J.J. McCarthys appeal is easy to understand on paper because he is still a young former first-round pick, but the fit is where the conversation starts to wobble. Between the injury interruptions, the uneven production and the contract realities, the Colts would be taking on more uncertainty at a position they already know is unsettled, which is exactly the sort of debate this franchise would probably prefer to avoid. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Swing Tackle Battle May Already Have An Undrafted Favorite
The Colts have spent the offseason sorting through a crowded group of undrafted free agents, and the swing tackle competition is one of the more interesting spots to watch. Nolan Rucci and Bayron Matos are among the young linemen the team is optimistic about, and Rucci in particular has drawn attention because of his size, athletic profile and the kind of developmental upside Indianapolis has shown it can extract from unheralded blockers.
Ruccis path is still early, but the buzz around him is real enough that he looks like a name worth tracking as camp approaches. Indianapolis has long been comfortable giving undrafted offensive linemen a chance to earn real roles, and that history gives this battle some added weight as the Colts try to find a swing tackle who can grow into the job quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Shane Steichen Just Gave Colts Fans A Troubling Alec Pierce Update
Alec Pierces offseason has taken a more complicated turn than the Colts probably wanted when the wide receiver went under the knife in late March to address an ankle issue he had been playing through. Shane Steichen said Pierces aim is to be ready for Week 1, which at least gives Indianapolis a target to work toward, but it also leaves the team waiting on a player whose availability was supposed to be clearer by now.
For a Colts offense that could use Pierces vertical presence, the uncertainty matters as much as the injury itself. The surgery was meant to fix something he had managed during the season, and now the real question is how much time it will take before he looks like himself again. Even with the opener circled, there is still no clean answer on when hell be back in full football shape. [Read more 🡒]