Cutdown day is closing in fast, and the Indianapolis Colts are starting to look like a team with most of its answers already in place. That doesn’t mean general manager Chris Ballard is finished, especially after the recent signing of Keenan Allen. But the big-picture shape of the roster is pretty clear now, with most starters locked in and plenty of the backup spots taking shape as August winds down.
The offense, though, still comes with some real swing points. Some of the top-end talent is good enough to carry a unit. The issue, as it so often is with this roster, is what happens when you get past the first name or two on the depth chart.
At quarterback, the Colts are leaning on Daniel Jones, with Anthony Richardson and Riley Leonard behind him. That’s where the alarm bells start.
Jones is coming back from an Achilles tendon tear and appears ahead of schedule, but until the season starts, nobody can say for certain what he’ll look like. If he goes down, the drop-off is steep.
Leonard does not look ready for meaningful snaps, and Richardson remains one of the strangest roster stories around.
Between 2018 and 2023, 21 quarterbacks were taken in the first round. Five were selected in 2018, and three came off the board in 2023, with Richardson the last of that group.
How many were still with the team that drafted them in a backup role during their fourth year? One.
Anthony Richardson. The Colts’ decision-making with him continues to stand out for all the wrong reasons.
Running back tells a simpler story, even if the depth issue is just as obvious. Jonathan Taylor is the headline, and he’s the kind of starter who can make a position group look a lot better than it really is.
Seth McGowan and DJ Giddens are the names behind him, but there’s nothing proven there. Taylor is trusted more than Jones, both for production and for health, which is why this group grades a bit higher than quarterback.
Still, the lack of a dependable second option keeps it from climbing much further.
Keenan Allen’s arrival mattered because the receiver room needed help. With Alec Pierce still recovering from ankle surgery, the room was thin enough that the Colts could not afford to wait around.
Allen gives them another real piece, but Pierce’s recovery now feels like a bigger and bigger issue. The Colts need him back, and they need him at full throttle.
He has to be explosive, because this offense doesn’t have a lot of other players who can truly threaten a defense. Downs and Allen fit together well, but the depth remains shaky.
If Pierce isn’t the same explosive player he was in ’24 and ’25, that becomes a major problem.
Tight end looks more stable. Tyler Warren headlines the group, and he should have a big year.
Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree bring blocking value without becoming dead spots in the passing game, while Will Mallory is starting to look like a useful flex option. With a thin receiving corps and no pass-catching specialist in the backfield, this position group may have to do even more this season.
On paper, it looks ready.
Up front, the offensive line is the strongest part of the Colts’ offense. Bernhard Reimann, Quenton Nelson, Tanor Bortolini, Matt Goncalves, and Jalen Travis form the core, with Jalen Farmer, Blake Freeland, Dalton Tucker, and Jimmy Morrissey providing depth.
Josh Sills has been mentioned as the player who should take the final roster spot, but that doesn’t change the overall picture. This is the unit that gives Colts fans the right to be optimistic.
Nelson is still the alpha, and one of the two or three best players on the team. Raimann and Bortolini are on the rise.
Goncalves is steady. Travis is the one starter who still raises a question, but the expectation is that he settles in and handles his role.
The concern is depth, especially at tackle, where Farmer may eventually emerge but still looks a ways off. Even so, this is the rare area where the Colts can absorb some weakness behind the starters and still come out in strong shape.
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Colts Ownership Is Already Facing A Sideline Debate Fans Will Notice
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Jason Whitlock recently seized on that visibility, criticizing Irsay-Gordon for being on the field level during preseason action and questioning how involved she should be compared with other NFL owners. It is the kind of sideline debate that can linger when a franchise is already under a microscope, especially for a team trying to reset its footing and move beyond a middling season. [Read more 🡒]
Former Colts Pick Is Back On Fans' Radar For A Reason
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For Colts followers, the name carries a little more weight because Johnson was part of that fifth-round class and once fit into the teams long-term development plans. He will also have a familiar face on the other side of the building, reuniting with former defensive line coach Nate Ollie as he tries to carve out a roster spot with the Falcons. [Read more 🡒]
Kenny Moores Colts Exit Is Looking Riskier By The Day
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Justin Walley has been one of the names benefiting from that shift, drawing attention in training camp and looking like the player the Colts are lining up to replace Moore. For Moore, the next step has been less certain, as he remains unsigned and is working out locally to stay ready while he waits for the right opportunity to open up. [Read more 🡒]