Hey there Colts’ fans! On the eve of training camp starting, most of the important news is yet to be determined in the days and weeks ahead. The first few days of camp are often quite telling in regards to offseason rehab, early camp injuries, new additions and new roles, and glaring gaps in the roster. Until that starts this week on Wednesday the 29^th, here are the most recent news out of the Colts’ Corral:

INJURY UPDATES: Coach Steichen recently as asked about the recovery of putative lead WR Alec Pierce, and he gave a curiously ambiguous and less-than-glowing response of "I know his goal is to be ready for Week 1. We're hoping for the same."Hoping? HOPING?!? In the offseason, he was just going to rehab and rest a nagging injury that slowed him for the last half of 2025. Then when that wasn’t showing the progress he desired, Pierce decided on what was then described as minor "clean out" procedure in the spring that allegedly would not limit him in the summer. Now the Colts’ verbiage is not even making it clear that he will be ready for camp at all. This bears watching as Pierce has been a rising ADP darling all summer and a very common sleeper pick. Just know that the boom-or-bust potential already baked into his ADP may possess even greater range of possible outcomes due to (change in role) + (big play style) + (possible slow recovery by QB Daniel Jones) + (his own injury). Pierce could be a big anchor for your roster, in both the positive and negative meanings of that term!

Jones himself did look sharp in the OTAs during 7-on-7 drills, although the movements required by his repaired Achilles tendon are quite different and not nearly as stressful as they will be in game play. Nonetheless, the team and the eye test both seem to show that he is ahead of schedule on his recovery and should be ready for full participation in training camp – although I think they will limit his reps to protect him, as well as to see which of the young backups will claim the #2 role for 2026. I do very much doubt he will see any actual game action in the preseason, even if he does take the bulk of the first team snaps in camp.

On defense, the 1-2 punch of CB Charvarius Ward and CB Sauce Gardner both look to be full healthy after injury-marred 2025 seasons. There appears to be no concerns about Gardner at all, and the issue with Ward in the offseason has been a nagging back injury and not the multiple concussions he suffered in 2025. I am still more concerned about the concussions, since another one in 2026 would likely mean an extended time off, and could even spell the early end of a stellar career. There is still (in my mind) also some lingering concern over the heartbeat of the defense, DL DeForest Buckner. Uncle Buck herniated a disk in his neck in week 9 and missed almost all the rest of the season before having it addressed surgically in the offseason. While he is expected to be cleared for the start of the season and maybe even for training camp, his age plus the nature of this injury bears watching; this is the sort of injury that could be potentially life-altering if anything unfortunate recurs, so he will have to be fully a "go" and fully comfortable to make sure the 32-year old star risks himself on the field. He is a warrior, but he is also a very smart player and man, so nothing is a given. These are possibly the best three players on the defense, so this situation definitely bears watching from both a fantasy (team defense and IDP) and real-world NFL perspective.

QUARTERBACK: As has been recorded in multiple media outlets, all three of the top quarterbacks on the roster are under a tremendous amount of pressure in camp. As mentioned above, Daniel Jones is obvious the leader on offense and his return to health after a late-season Achilles tear is nothing short of miraculous if he starts in week 1, and essential for the Colts to have any semblance of offensive consistency in 2026. He will need to generate comfort and trust in his own body, as well as shake off the rust and prep to lead the offense...all without overdoing it or risking reinjury. Young QB Riley Leonard is working hard to set himself up as the primary backup – and if he is successful, that could signal the end of Richardson’s tenure in Indy. He showed a little bit at the end of 2025, but he is still raw and may not possess enough raw athleticism and arm strength to take advantage of the downfield targets like Pierce, nor enough of a threat with his limited skill and savvy to keep the target off the back of RB Jonathan Taylor in the run game. He needs to step forward in camp, and not simply wait and hope that Richardson fritters away his position. And then there is former top pick QB Anthony Richardson. His freakish athleticism is so high that the team drafted him despite is greenness -- and those skills have not disappeared, making him yet to be a very tantalizing figure. But his work ethic and ability to stay on the field are definitely under question as are his decision-making skills on the field, and the latter of these is a big key in the eyes of Coach Steichen. I would love nothing more than to see AR5 suddenly "get it" and put it all together in the preseason, because his upside is something like Lamar Jackson (but his downside his "Akili Smith"). Best case scenario, both the backups are awesome in camp, and the Colts get a better-than-expected trade haul in return for Richardson. Worst-case scenario, both are wretched while Jones is less than fully healthy, and the Colts challenge for the top spot in next year’s draft. If only they hadn’t traded that pick to the Jets already. Egads.

ROSTER GAPS: This is the second year in Lou Anarumo’s system, and is everyone is healthy, he finally has some pieces in place to run the style of defense that he wants. They still need someone to step up in the pass rush to pair with rising star DE Laiatu Latu. Frankly, there is no one on the roster now that excites me, so this may be a gap they have all year unless someone surprises everyone. The secondary is good enough when everyone plays such that they can help create sacks by good coverage, but they need all cylinders firing at once to make that work. They definitely still need another receiver to make things feel like more of a threat in the passing game. I don’t have enough faith in WR Josh Downs or WR Ashton Dulin to be a full-time starter as a viable threat to attract enough attention on the perimeter. The Colts have been rumored to be good landing spots for Tyreek Hill (no chance, IMO) and Keenan Allen (a better chance, as he has worked with Steichen in his past), and there are still some good veteran possession guys on the market. While a HOFer like DeAndre Hawkins is likely looking for a far stronger Superbowl competitor than Indy, I would not rule out a multifaceted player like Deebo Samuel who can fit a variety of roles for a creative offensive mind like Steichen. Other than that, the depth of this roster is lower than in past years, so they can ill afford any injuries…and with the recent history of injuries on this team by their top guys, this is a very real and terrifying weakness.

That is all for this month from the Crossroads of America. I will be back in August a couple of times as camp progresses and preseason games are underway to assess the news and developments coming out of camp here in Indianapolis. Until then….good luck on your early summer fantasy drafts!

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