The Colts open the 2026 season on Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium, and the matchup comes with a familiar warning: slowing down Baltimore starts with Lamar Jackson. That’s the obvious headline. The less obvious one is that Indianapolis may need a few unheralded players to swing the game its way.
That was the lesson in 2025, when the stars alone weren’t enough to carry the Colts into the postseason. If 2026 is going to look different, it may start with role players who are ready to punch above their weight right away.
One name to watch is defensive end Micheal Clemons. Baltimore’s ground game is the first problem, because Jackson is dangerous with his legs and Derrick Henry remains a load to bring down.
Clemons hasn’t built a career on pressuring quarterbacks, but he has shown flashes against the run, and that could fit better in Lou Anarumo’s defense than it did with the New York Jets. During the preseason, Clemons logged 49 reps, with 19 coming in run defense.
He finished with two run stuffs and three tackles. He’s also already seen the Ravens twice in his career and held up well.
Sunday could be another chance for him to be part of the answer up front.
Wide receiver Deion Burks is another possible spark. The Colts may need a receiver to step into a bigger role, especially with Alec Pierce and Josh Downs both dealing with their own practice availability.
Pierce only became a full participant last week, while Downs missed part of camp with an injury. Burks gives Indianapolis some flexibility because he can line up in different spots, sliding into the slot or outside depending on how the Colts want to deploy him.
He isn’t the biggest target, but he looked quick in preseason games and handled the ball cleanly, catching eight of 11 targets with no drops. He also handled kick returns six times in the preseason and averaged 24.2 yards per return.
Then there’s defensive tackle Adebawore Adetomiwa, who could be the kind of pass-rush piece that matters if Baltimore is forced to throw more than it wants. Adetomiwa, a fourth-round pick in 2023 out of Northwestern, has struggled badly against the run through his first three seasons.
But on passing downs, he can still create problems. Last season, his first with meaningful playing time, he produced 34 total pressures on 359 pass-rush snaps.
That kind of rate won’t make him a star, but it does make him efficient. If the Colts can build an early lead and push the Ravens into a more obvious passing script, Adetomiwa could get the green light to attack.
He’s also in a contract season, which only adds to the urgency.
Baltimore brings the big names, but Week 1 can be decided by the players nobody is talking about yet. For the Colts, that’s where the upset path starts.
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 🡒]