Training camp always has a way of sorting out who’s ready to move and who’s still trying to catch up. For the Indianapolis Colts, three offensive players need that early momentum more than most: wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, quarterback Anthony Richardson and right tackle Jalen Travis.
Treadwell is in the thick of the battle for the WR3 job, with Ashton Dulin and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine also in the mix. Even if he doesn’t land that role, he still has a real path to the 53-man roster.
He’s spent time on the practice squad during his Colts tenure, but the team’s thinner receiver depth this offseason gives him a chance to matter. His familiarity with the NFL and with Shane Steichen’s offense could work in his favor, and the Colts may lean on a rotation at WR3 depending on matchups and game situations.
That kind of setup would give Treadwell another opening to carve out snaps. He’s also proven he can help on multiple special teams units, which will be part of the final roster discussion as Steichen and Chris Ballard make their decisions.
Richardson’s camp matters for a different reason. If he puts together a strong showing, he could lock down the backup quarterback job, putting him one play away from getting into a game.
A solid camp and preseason could also help set up a trade. But if the inconsistency shows up again, he could slide to QB3, which would only make an already limited trade market look even weaker.
In that case, he’d head into the next offseason with very little momentum as a free agent.
Travis has the most direct on-field responsibility of the three. He’s set to start at right tackle, and how quickly he settles in will shape the offensive line’s early performance.
That matters for everything else the Colts want to do on offense. A steady line gives the run game something to lean on and gives the quarterback time in the pocket.
Up front, it’s not just about one player carrying the load; the whole unit has to function together. And while the Colts return four starters and have two established players on the left side, Travis is the unknown in the group.
In Other News...
Colts Swing Tackle Battle May Already Have An Undrafted Favorite
The Colts have a familiar offseason theme playing out again up front, with a cluster of undrafted free agents trying to carve out jobs and, in particular, a swing tackle role that always carries outsized value. Nolan Rucci and Bayron Matos are among the young tackles in the mix, and Indianapolis has given itself reason to believe it can keep finding useful pieces in that part of the roster by developing linemen who arrive without much draft pedigree.
Rucci, in particular, is drawing the kind of attention that can turn a camp battle into a real roster conversation. His physical traits and upside have put him near the front of the pack, and the Colts track record with undrafted offensive linemen only adds to the intrigue. The question now is whether that promise shows up quickly enough for him to become a trusted swing tackle before the roster starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Just Got Pulled Into Another Quarterback Debate Fans Dread
The Colts have spent enough time in quarterback uncertainty already, so it is no surprise that another outside suggestion would land with a thud. Bleacher Reports latest idea tied Indianapolis to Minnesotas J.J. McCarthy as a possible backup option, a move that would only add another young passer to a room already trying to sort out where Anthony Richardson fits and how much stability the team really has behind him.
McCarthys profile does not exactly scream clean solution, either. He has battled injuries, is still trying to prove he can hold down an NFL job, and comes with a contract that would ask Indianapolis to pay more for a quarterback who might not be any more settled than the one already on the roster. With Riley Leonard also in the mix, the Colts may have a cheaper and simpler answer in-house, which is why this latest quarterback link feels less like a fix and more like another reminder of how unresolved the position still is. [Read more 🡒]
Shane Steichen Just Gave Colts Fans A Troubling Alec Pierce Update
Alec Pierces offseason has taken a more complicated turn than the Colts probably wanted when he went under the knife in late March to address an ankle issue he had been playing through. Shane Steichen said the wide receivers target is to be ready for Week 1, which at least gives Indianapolis a clear benchmark, but it also leaves the team waiting on a player who has become an important part of the passing game.
The uncertainty matters because Pierce was expected to use the offseason to get back on track, not spend it rehabbing a surgery that has already pushed his timeline into the summer. For a Colts offense trying to build continuity, every missed practice rep counts, and the closer this recovery gets to the start of the regular season, the more the team has to think about how it will manage his workload if he does make it back on time. [Read more 🡒]