The Indianapolis Colts enter Week 1 with a pretty clear reputation already attached to them. Around the league, the picture is narrow: third in the AFC South, somewhere between 19th and 23rd in the power rankings, and dependent on good health if they want any real shot at the playoffs.
That’s the backdrop as the Colts open at home against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. on CBS.
The national rankings don’t leave much room for debate. Nick Shook of NFL.com put Indianapolis 20th, while Diante Lee of The Ringer also slotted them 20th.
The Athletic’s Chad Graff and Josh Kendall had them 21st, and Pete Prisco of CBS Sports matched that number. Nate Davis of USA TODAY went with 22nd, while Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk both landed on 23rd.
Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports was the most bullish of the bunch, placing the Colts 19th.
A lot of the conversation centers on the same issue: availability. Shook pointed to the uncertainty around Alec Pierce after ankle surgery, noting that the receiver spent most of August on the PUP list before returning to full practice. He also said Keenan Allen is expected to play in the opener despite his recent arrest on drunken driving charges, and that Josh Downs and Jonathan Taylor could carry a heavy load in an offense not fully ready to start the year.
The health angle came up again and again. Florio wrote, "They desperately need Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor to stay healthy." Sobleski said the roster talent is obvious but the depth is thin, and added that if Indianapolis is going to resemble the team it was in the first half of last season, its top players have to stay on the field.
Jones is a major part of the discussion after tearing his right Achilles. Graff and Kendall noted that he has checked all the boxes in recovery and pointed out that the Colts were 8-2 before his injury last season, but they also made clear the uncertainty remains until he proves it in games. Nate Davis echoed that theme, saying the Colts are now tasked with showing they are more like the team that opened 2025 with an 8-2 record than the one that finished with seven straight losses.
Vacchiano called Indianapolis one of two teams he fears he may have underrated, though he still questioned Jones’ ability to bounce back from a major injury again. Even so, he added, "But so far, so good for him."
Prisco’s view was the bluntest of the group. "This regime enters the season knowing they likely have to be a playoff team to stick around. I don't think they are good enough to do that."
Lee said the Colts were hurt by injuries last year and now appear headed for another season around .500, with a path to the postseason only through the seventh seed. He also flagged a rough opening stretch, with Baltimore, Kansas City and Houston on the front end of the schedule.
That opening month is a stress test. After the Ravens, Indianapolis goes to Kansas City on Sept. 20, hosts Houston on Sept. 27, and then plays Washington in London on Oct.
- The early run keeps going with Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Minnesota and Jacksonville before the calendar turns to November.
The full Colts schedule includes home dates with Dallas, Miami, the Giants, Cincinnati and Jacksonville, plus road trips to Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Tennessee and Cleveland. The bye arrives in Week 13.
The Week 1 slate around the league is loaded too, but for Indianapolis the focus is simpler: prove the roster can hold together, prove Jones can look the part in live action, and prove the team belongs somewhere better than the middle of the rankings.
In Other News...
Colts Just Sent A Clear Message With This Late Roster Shakeup
The Colts made a late roster tweak this week, moving offensive tackle Luke Tenuta from the practice squad onto the 53-man roster and waiving cornerback Jaylon Jones to open the spot. Its the kind of transaction that can get overlooked on a busy roster sheet, but it points to where Indianapolis wanted a little more security heading into the stretch run: the backup tackle group.
Tenuta gives the Colts added depth behind the starting offensive line, while the corresponding practice-squad move brought in tight end Kenny Fletcher Jr. to fill the vacancy. Small as it may seem, the shuffle says plenty about how the team is trying to balance protection up front with the flexibility to keep the rest of the roster stocked. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Just Made A Secondary Decision Fans Didn't See Coming
The Colts kept tweaking the bottom of the roster by moving offensive tackle Luke Tenuta up from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, a shift that opened a spot for the team to make another pass at its depth. To keep the practice squad balanced, Indianapolis also brought in free agent tight end Kenny Fletcher Jr., an undrafted rookie out of Rutgers who made his college move from defensive end to tight end.
The move that stands out most is on the other side of the ball, where the Colts waived cornerback Jaylon Jones, a two-year starter for the team before this latest shake-up. Tenuta brings prior NFL stops with the Bills, Packers and Cardinals, but Jones departure adds a layer of intrigue because it trims from a position group that has mattered for Indianapolis, and it leaves one more roster question hanging as the team sorts out what it wants its secondary to look like next. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Secondary Draws Fresh Scrutiny Right Before The Opener
The Colts secondary is getting a little unwanted attention as the season opener approaches, with two defensive backs landing on the NFLs fine list for preseason infractions. Cam Taylor-Britt was hit for unnecessary roughness on a tackle in the finale against the Lions, while Trey Washington was fined for a facemask in a preseason game against the Falcons, adding a late-week reminder that discipline has been part of the conversation around this group.
The bigger issue for Indianapolis is the timing. Taylor-Britt is already set to miss the opener because of a separate suspension tied to a violation of the leagues personal conduct policy, leaving the Colts to sort out their back end without one of its most recognizable defenders. For a unit trying to settle in before the games start counting, the added fines only underscore how little margin there is for error. [Read more 🡒]