Tyler Warren walked into Colts camp sounding like a player who already knows where he fits - and why Year Two can look a lot different from Year One.
After Indianapolis’ first day in pads in Westfield, the second-year tight end joined Query & Company live and talked through the shift in tempo, the comfort level of being back in the same system, and the bigger role that’s waiting for him in this offense.
The pads, naturally, changed the feel of camp right away.
“There’s always that feeling when the pads come on. It’s a little more real, game speed,” Warren said. “But I think we’ve done a good job still getting full-speed work and working up to this.”
What stood out most in Warren’s comments was how settled he sounds compared with a year ago. He pointed to continuity with the offense, the coaching staff, and a lot of the same teammates as a major reason he feels more at ease this time around.
“Being in this year, having the same offense and staff and a lot of the same players around, has just been good for me,” he said. “It’s kind of review now, going back through the offense you learned last year.”
Warren’s route to this point has been anything but ordinary. He came from Mechanicsville, Virginia, moved on to Penn State and its 110,000-fan stage, and then made the leap to the NFL. For him, the jump to a major college campus was one of the biggest adjustments along the way.
The opportunity in Indianapolis may also be expanding. With Michael Pittman Jr. gone, Warren sees a passing game that can spread the ball around more widely.
“It’s not necessarily just on me. That opens up stuff for everybody,” he said.
“Josh can do more over the middle, the receivers, the tight ends. It opens up stuff for guys all over the offense.”
That’s where Warren wants to keep sharpening his game. He said he’s focused on becoming a more complete tight end, with blocking and route running both part of the checklist.
“It’s important to be able to block the C-gap and also win in man coverage,” Warren said, adding that route running is where he wants to grow most.
He also came away impressed with the quarterbacks around him. Warren said, “I’m not surprised” by Daniel Jones’ strong return, and he called Riley Leonard “a baller” who “gets in the game and makes plays.”
Tyler Warren is heading into Year Two with more comfort, more responsibility, and a clear sense of what he wants to become.
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