Tyler Warren kept making noise Tuesday, and by the time the Colts wrapped up their joint practice with the Patriots, the rookie tight end had turned himself into one of the day’s biggest talking points.
Warren was all over the field in the passing game. He was credited with a string of catches in both 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 work, and when the Colts got into a late two-minute drill, he was basically the engine of the offense. Daniel Jones found him three times in that situation, and head coach Shane Steichen praised him afterward.
Jones, meanwhile, had a mixed day that settled down late. He was reported at 15-of-22 passing, a 68.2% clip, and started a little unevenly before cleaning things up in the late drill.
The Colts were working from a simulated seven-point deficit there, and Jones finished the sequence with a red-zone touchdown to Josh Downs. Downs then jawed with Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones after the score.
Steichen also said Jones will not play at all in the preseason.
That decision leaves the quarterback rotation for Thursday’s preseason opener against New England set: Anthony Richardson Sr. will start and play the first half, while Riley Leonard handles the second half. Next week against the Atlanta Falcons, the roles will flip. Both Richardson and Leonard were said to be solid overall, with Leonard drawing especially strong reviews early before throwing an interception late to safety John Saunders during the two-minute drill.
The Colts also got some encouraging health news on the field. Josh Downs, Laquon Treadwell, Justin Walley, and Hunter Wohler all returned to practice after missing recent time with injuries. Downs had been out two practices with a groin issue, Treadwell missed three with a hamstring injury, Walley had missed most of the last practices with a hamstring issue, and Wohler had sat out five practices with a hamstring problem.
Not everyone was back, though. CJ Allen, DJ Giddens, and Charvarius Ward Sr. all remained out Tuesday.
Allen and Giddens were both dealing with hamstring injuries, while Ward was sidelined with a back issue. Alec Pierce was also seen working out off to the side with a trainer, cleats on, for the first time in camp.
Before practice even started, Pierce’s status was a major topic. On Monday, it had been reported that he received a second platelet-rich plasma shot to help with recovery from March surgery on his left ankle.
But Ballard clarified Tuesday that Pierce only had one PRP shot, in January, and did not receive a second one. The team still expects him to be available for the Sept. 13 opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
Elsewhere on offense, the Colts found success in the red zone despite the Patriots’ front seven being stout early. Jonathan Taylor, Seth McGowan, and Ulysses Bentley IV all scored in red-zone work. But the day belonged to Warren, who kept showing up in every key stretch.
The defense had its own moments. Micheal Clemons and West Weeks were each credited with sacks, and Colts linebackers continued to show a knack for getting home on blitzes.
Grover Stewart and Akeem Davis-Gaither also had run stuffs. In coverage, Bryce Boettcher, Sauce Gardner, Justin Walley, and Trey Washington all got at least one pass breakup.
There were some rougher snaps too. Boettcher gave up a couple plays later on, and while filling in for Ward, Cam Taylor-Britt and Mekhi Blackmon were said to have struggled. Cam Bynum delivered the biggest defensive play of the day, picking off Drake Maye over the middle in the end zone during a two-minute drill and effectively ending things for the Colts’ first-team defense.
The Patriots made their share of plays against Indianapolis as well. A.J. Brown, Kyle Williams, and Mack Hollins all popped for big gains against the Colts’ secondary, and Tommy DeVito connected deep for a score to Hollins.
The day also got chippy late. Durell Nchami was involved in a fight along the Patriots’ sideline during a special teams drill, with hands thrown.
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