The Colts’ roster churn kept rolling Thursday, and the biggest headline was a familiar one: linebacker Germaine Pratt is out again.
Indianapolis announced that it released Pratt from the practice squad, then turned around and added help on both lines by signing offensive tackle Charlie Heck to the active roster and guard Joshua Gray to the practice squad.
Pratt’s stay was brief. The Colts brought him back on Oct. 13 after he had played for the team in 2025 but did not return in the offseason.
He had already spent time with Indianapolis this year after a long run with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he played for former defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo from 2019-24. After being released by Cincinnati last offseason, Pratt signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, only to be cut again on Oct.
- Two days later, he landed with the Colts and went on to start all 12 games he played, finishing with 101 tackles, including five for loss, along with one forced fumble, two fumbles recovered, one interception, and eight pass breakups.
This go-round lasted only two weeks and one game.
The timing lines up with a healthier linebacker room in Indianapolis. Jaylon Carlies returned last week from a rib injury, and rookie CJ Allen is expected back this week after missing his first career start last Sunday because of an ankle injury.
The Colts also fortified their offensive front with Heck, a 6-foot-8, 311-pound blocker who entered the league as a fourth-round pick by the Houston Texans in 2020. He has spent time with the Arizona Cardinals in 2024, the San Francisco 49ers in 2024, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025, and the Miami Dolphins in 2026.
Heck was active for all 17 games last season with Tampa Bay and made six starts. Across his career, he has 29 starts in 67 games.
Gray arrives as another depth piece. The 6-foot-5, 299-pound lineman entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2025 with the Atlanta Falcons and has also spent time with the Carolina Panthers in 2026 and the Minnesota Vikings in 2026. He has not yet been active for an NFL regular-season game.
On the current depth chart, Indianapolis now lists Bernhard Raimann, Jalen Travis, Luke Tenuta, and Heck at tackle on the active roster, with Nolan Rucci, Reid Holskey, and Rob Mbaeteka on the practice squad. At guard, the active group is Matt Goncalves, Jalen Farmer, and Dalton Tucker, with Gray on the practice squad.
The shuffle comes after another major change up front: the Colts traded longtime starting left guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks this week.
That move may have helped create the need for both Heck and Gray. Goncalves, the starting right guard, had been viewed as the team’s best swing tackle option, but now that he’s stepping into the top guard role, Indianapolis needs Tenuta and another body ready to handle tackle duties if the numbers get tight.
In Other News...
Colts Injury Report Puts Two Key Week 8 Concerns In Focus
Wednesdays injury report gave the Colts a mixed bag as they turned the page toward Week 8, with a few important defensive and offensive pieces showing up on the practice field in different capacities. Linebacker CJ Allen was a full participant despite an ankle issue, while rookie linebacker Bryce Boettcher was held out with a groin injury. Around them, the list of limited participants included Drew Ogletree, Tyler Warren and Matt Goncalves, underscoring how many moving parts Indianapolis is managing this week.
The most encouraging development came from Sauce Gardner, who returned to limited practice after being sidelined by a calf injury. His availability is one of the bigger questions hanging over the Colts right now, especially with the defense trying to steady itself after two games without him. For a team trying to keep its lineup intact in midseason, the Thursday and Friday updates will matter just as much as the first report. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Are Betting Big On A Rookie To Replace Quenton Nelson
The Colts are moving on from a significant piece of their offensive front, and the plan now is to hand the left guard job to rookie Jalen Farmer. A fourth-round pick with limited NFL experience, Farmer has been in line for a bigger role since camp, and Indianapolis has spent the past few weeks preparing him for the jump with coaches and teammates helping smooth the transition.
Farmer will have plenty of eyes on him as he tries to step into a spot that mattered for years in Indianapolis. The coaching staff has publicly backed his readiness, and the locker room has followed suit, but replacing a proven veteran in the middle of a reshuffled line is the kind of test that can define an early season for an offense still trying to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Suddenly Face A Jonathan Taylor Decision That Changes Everything
The Colts have already made it clear they are willing to shake up the roster after moving Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, and that alone has changed the way the rest of the league is reading their next steps. With the front office openly signaling that more deals could follow, attention has naturally turned to players like Josh Downs and Jonathan Taylor, two names that would have seemed untouchable not long ago.
Taylor is the one who creates the most immediate tension because Indianapolis now has to balance a possible trade market with the realities of the next game on the schedule. The question is no longer just whether the Colts might listen if a serious offer comes along, but how they handle his status in the meantime as the situation around him continues to build. [Read more 🡒]