The Indianapolis Colts have some burning questions remaining before the regular season arrives.
The Indianapolis Colts played their first of three preseason games on Thursday, tying the New England Patriots, 13-13. They now enter their final week of training camp, with a pair of joint practices against the Atlanta Falcons, followed by two more preseason games against Atlanta and the Detroit Lions.
The start of the regular season is now just under a month away, and though things have taken a positive swing recently for the Colts, there are still some questions to be answered. Here's what needs to be sorted out before Sun., Sept. 13, when the team kicks off against the Baltimore Ravens.
Will Anthony Richardson Sr. Be Traded?
The fourth-year quarterback has been available since February, when he and the Colts mutually agreed to seek a trade. Nothing the team has deemed reasonable has materialized, putting all eyes on training camp and the preseason. Richardson will have had three joint practices and three preseason games to convince other teams. So far, Richardson has rebounded ever so slightly from a rocky start to training camp, just the same as he did in this summer's preseason opener. He overcame a pair of turnovers to put together a completion percentage of nearly 80% and a yards-per-pass-attempt over 10.0. He also ran for over 50 yards and a score.
When Will Alec Pierce Return?
The Colts' $114 million receiver has yet to practice this offseason after undergoing a procedure on his left ankle and heel in March, putting his return timeframe anywhere from the end of July to September. Earlier this week, he was seen rehabbing with team trainers for the first time this summer, which suggests he's getting closer to returning. With a new role and just needing to knock the rust off before the season, the Colts need Pierce back on the field as soon as possible.
Are Two Rookies Key to Colts' Pass Rush Depth?
After the Colts missed out on landing a high-end free-agent pass rusher in Trey Hendrickson, they resigned themselves to having an edge rush by committee. However, Arden Key and Jaylahn Tuimoloau as the two primary edge rushers opposite Laiatu Latu left much to be desired. Key is 30 years old with a single-season high of 6.5 sacks, and Tuimoloau was a rookie who played just 215 defensive snaps last year. The Colts picked two pass rushers on Day 3 of this year's draft in George Gumbs Jr. and Caden Curry. It was reasonable to expect them to need at least a year to be useful on defense, which may still be the case, but both players have been among the brightest standouts on the Colts' defensive line this summer. Is this just an example of Gumbs and Curry taking advantage of being matched up with other backups, or could they truly be ready to contribute to the Colts' defense in 2026?
How Will the Colts Sort Out Their Linebackers?
What we do know about the Colts' linebacker group is that defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo and linebackers coach James Bettcher will likely lean heavily on CJ Allen and Akeem Davis-Gaither as the two base starters, but it seems as if Bryce Boettcher and Austin Ajiake may also be frequently involved, as well as safety Hunter Wohler. Jaylon Carlies also has a strong case for the roster. Will we begin to see more definition to the linebacker corps, or will the coaching staff continue to sort things out every chance they get? Based on run and pass situations and certain down-and-distances, we could see the Colts use four or five different linebackers rather routinely.
Will The Colts Get to Week 1 Mostly Unscathed?
By the time the Colts got to the regular season last summer, they had already lost cornerback Justin Walley and safety Hunter Wohler for the year, and cornerbacks JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones were nursing serious hamstring injuries. Ultimately, injuries throughout the season all over the roster derailed the season, so the Colts pray for good health moving forward.
Will Spencer Shrader Turns the Tides?
After a poor offseason of kicking, in which he was converting below 70% of his field goal attempts, Spencer Shrader had a bit of redemption on Thursday, converting both kicks, including a 61-yarder to tie the game for good with just over a minute remaining in the game. Entering the game, Blake Grupe was kicking about 90% on his attempts but was 0-of-1 on Thursday, with his miss also coming from 61 yards. Shrader still has a lot of ground to make up, but in-game kicks weigh heavily in the competition.
Which 'Random' Player Will Earn a Special Teams Spot?
Each year, it seems as if a player who doesn't factor into offense or defense unexpectedly makes the roster based on their special teams prowess. This year, that could be someone like either linebackers Tahj Chambers or West Weeks, safeties Daniel Scott or Trey Washington, cornerback Rob Carter Jr., or wide receiver Coleman Owen.
