WESTFIELD - Ulysses Bentley IV has spent much of the past year waiting for a real opening with the Indianapolis Colts, and last Thursday night gave him exactly that.
Bentley got a rare shot with the starters and turned it into a pair of receiving touchdowns in practice, the kind of performance that can change how a coaching staff views a player fighting for a roster spot. For a running back trying to carve out a role, that kind of production stands out fast.
The first score came in a one-on-one matchup with rookie linebacker Bryce Boettcher. Bentley broke out of the backfield and headed upfield as quarterback Daniel Jones dropped in a perfect throw, and Bentley tracked it over his shoulder before running under it for a clean touchdown catch. A few plays later, he did it again, this time taking an angle route from Riley Leonard, turning on the speed and racing for a touchdown of 40-plus yards.
“He made a ton of plays,” Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen said. “Obviously, he had a little double move for a touchdown, and then out in space, made a couple guys miss.”
Running backs coach DeAndre Smith wasn’t shocked by the first grab. He said Bentley has been dependable since arriving in Indianapolis.
“Since he’s been here, he’s always had the best hands in the room,” Smith said. “He’s never, knock on wood, he’s never dropped a pass since he’s been here.”
Smith also knows how camp works. One big play can lead to another chance, and Bentley made the most of the next one.
That matters because the Colts have a clear opening in the passing-game role that used to belong to Ameer Abdullah, who left for Jacksonville in the offseason. Jonathan Taylor will still handle the bulk of the workload, and he’s coming off a season with a career-high 46 receptions.
But the rest of the backfield brings different strengths. Abdullah caught 16 passes last year.
Rookie Seth McGowan has good hands but profiles more as a bruiser, while 2025 fifth-rounder DJ Giddens has dealt with drops at times in his career.
Bentley’s path is different. His best chance to stick is as a third-down back, and he knows it.
“Kind of have to separate my game,” Bentley said. “Catch the ball, run routes, that’s just going to create more value for myself to help the team.”
The Colts have already shown they trust him in that kind of role. Early last season, Bentley spent a couple of weeks on the 53-man roster and got one carry in a blowout. Most of his year ended up on the practice squad, but Indianapolis still carried him on the active roster for a short stretch because of what he can do in the passing game.
He brings more than receiving, too. Smith pointed to Bentley’s work in pass protection as another reason the Colts have kept him in the mix.
“The only reason why he was ever there is because of protections, because I trusted him,” Smith said. “He’s always had a good feel for it, understanding. He’s not the biggest guy, but he’ll definitely throw his body up in there.”
Two weeks into camp, Bentley looks more comfortable in the offense after a season on the practice squad. Smith said the game is slowing down for him, and that the work has helped him play faster and react instead of thinking.
“He’s playing faster because he’s heard it, he knows it, he doesn’t have to think about it,” Smith said. “He can just go out and react.”
Bentley is also getting extra chances while Giddens has missed most of the week with a hamstring injury, which has opened the door a little wider. He’s still fighting for a spot, and he’s also competing for a role on special teams.
For Bentley, though, the message stays the same: make the hands impossible to ignore. He said he works on that every day.
“I get on the JUGS every day, make sure I have the best hands possible,” Bentley said. “I love working on my hands and running routes. Whatever way I can do it to help the team, I just find a way.”
Never know when the next opportunity might come his way.
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