The Colts got a clean, sharp day from Daniel Jones on Wednesday, but that wasn’t the headline coming out of Grand Park. That belonged to Tyler Warren.
The second-year tight end left practice early with a groin injury, and by the end of the session he was back on the field without his helmet, his right groin wrapped and his movement noticeably limited. With the Colts down to their final day of camp in Westfield and the season opener three and a half weeks away, it was the kind of setback that immediately grabs attention.
Before Warren’s exit, Jones had turned in his best work of camp. Unofficially, he went 14-for-14, and it came without Alec Pierce and with Warren leaving early.
The quarterback wasn’t hunting big highlights, but the operation looked far cleaner than it had in some of the rougher practices earlier in camp. Ashton Dulin and Seth McGowan were both active targets, and Jones also benefited when a tipped pass somehow landed in Josh Downs’ hands for a nice gain.
The Colts’ passing game had the better of Wednesday’s work. The run game, at least from the starting unit, did not. As always in camp, it’s hard to judge the ground attack without full tackling to the turf, but the offense’s best stretch clearly came through the air.
The quarterback rotation also continued to shift. Riley Leonard handled more of the second-team work on Wednesday, finishing 8-of-11, while Anthony Richardson Sr. got his lone team period on Thursday and went 3-of-3. Leonard is set to start Saturday’s preseason game against Atlanta, with Richardson starting the second half.
On the other side of the ball, the Falcons had a rough day with Tua Tagovailoa leading the offense. One sequence featured a Laiatu Latu sack, a tackle for loss by A.J.
Haucly and then a botched snap by Atlanta. The best play I saw from the Falcons’ passing game came when Drake London climbed the ladder for a strong catch over Justin Walley.
Later, Walley finished the day with a well-timed jump on a zone route for a pick six, and even after the staff gave Tagovailoa another shot, the Falcons offense still struggled to move the ball.
The Colts also got another strong kicking day. Blake Grupe was perfect again, going 5-of-5 to push his camp total to 41-of-45.
Spencer Shrader went 3-of-4 and missed his last attempt wide left, which has been a recurring issue. He’s now 30-of-44 in camp.
There was some good news on Alec Pierce. Shane Steichen said, “Alec is in a great spot right now.
I watched him work out (Tuesday) in the indoor (facility) and he’s moving around really good. Hopefully we will have him back soon.”
Steichen did not have a fresh update on Charvarius Ward Sr., who was back on the sideline Wednesday with a back injury that has now kept him out for more than a week. The coach said he did not think surgery was being discussed.
Another name to watch is Keenan Allen, who is set to make his practice debut Thursday. The 34-year-old talked with the media before Wednesday’s session and made it clear he’s a fan of Steichen, using the word “genius” several times to describe the coach he worked with for nine seasons with the Chargers.
Even before practice, Allen and Steichen were out there mimicking routes together while the team stretched. Steichen said Allen will likely do individual work Thursday and that the Colts expect to move him around, using him both outside and in the slot.
He called Allen the most cerebral wide receiver he’s ever been around.
There was also a subtle shift at linebacker, where Akeem Davis-Gaither and Jaylon Carlies have been getting a little more first-team run lately after a stretch of heavy rotation.
The Colts’ starting offense Wednesday was Daniel Jones at quarterback, Jonathan Taylor at running back, and Josh Downs, Laquon Treadwell and Mo Alie-Cox at the pass-catching spots, with Tyler Warren at tight end. Up front, it was Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Tanor Bortolini, Matt Goncalves and Jalen Travis.
The starting defense featured Laiatu Latu and Arden Key at end, Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner inside, Jaylon Carlies and Akeem Davis-Gaither at linebacker, and Cam Taylor-Britt, Justin Walley, Sauce Gardner, Cam Bynum and A.J. Haulcy in the secondary.
As for who stood out most on the day, Jones made the cleanest case, with Dulin, McGowan and Walley also turning in noticeable work. The Colts are back at it Thursday for their final practice of camp, then they’ll face Atlanta again Saturday in their second preseason game.
In Other News...
Tyler Warren's Sudden Exit Has Colts Fans Watching One Big Concern
Tyler Warrens training camp momentum hit an early snag when the Colts tight end left an 11-on-11 practice rep with a groin injury and did not return. He was seen walking off the field with a noticeable limp, a sight that immediately shifted attention from his camp progress to his availability, especially with the team still sorting through the early days of preseason.
The Colts have not offered an official update yet, but the expectation is that they will take the cautious route and keep Warren out of the upcoming preseason game against the Falcons. For a player trying to establish himself in a new setting, even a short absence can matter, and the bigger question now is how quickly he can get back on the field without the issue lingering. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Face Two Tough Roster Calls As Cutdown Day Nears
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Giddens has spent training camp dealing with a hamstring issue, which has made it hard for him to build momentum, while Tillery is trying to hold off a crowded interior line group that includes Colby Wooden and his positional flexibility. For a team trying to sort out the back end of the roster, those are the kinds of calls that can come down to health, depth and who gives the Colts the cleanest answer in more than one spot. [Read more 🡒]
Daniel Jones Is Giving Colts Fans A Reason To Reconsider Ballard
Daniel Jones arrived at Colts training camp carrying plenty of skepticism, and not just because of the move from his old team. Chris Ballards decision to bring him in on a two-year contract came with the obvious caution flag of a major injury, but the early signs out of camp have been hard to ignore. Teammates and even former coaches have taken note as Jones has begun showing the kind of timing and movement that made him an intriguing fit in the first place.
What has really changed the conversation in Indianapolis is how normal Jones has looked in drills. After spending the offseason working back from the kind of injury that can alter a quarterbacks game, he has reportedly been sharp with the ball and comfortable enough on his feet to ease some of the concern around his recovery. For a Colts front office that staked something on this bet, every positive practice rep makes the original call look a little more reasonable. [Read more 🡒]