Colts' Playmakers Earn Respectable Marks, With Room to Grow

In 2026, the Indianapolis Colts will rely heavily on their offense to recapture the effectiveness they showed early last year, when they were the top offense in the NFL, scoring at will and gashing defenses.

They re-signed quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce, running back Jonathan Taylor returns after another Pro Bowl season, and pass-catchers Josh Downs and Tyler Warren will be expected to take another step in their development.

Recently, ESPN's Bill Barnwell ranked the NFL's best offensive playmaker groups, considering teams' top five offensive contributors at running back, wide receiver, and tight end.

Coming in at No. 14 were the Colts, who ranked 16th on Barnwell's list in 2025 and 22nd in 2024, so the subtle improvement is there.

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"Even after trading Michael Pittman Jr., the Colts sport above-average or better contributors at all three spots we're considering here," Barnwell wrote. "Their playmakers all looked much better in 2025 with better quarterback play, but none made a bigger leap than Alec Pierce, who finally saw steady deep-ball opportunities throughout the season. Pierce averaged 2.2 yards per route run during his breakout campaign, which was good for 14th in the league among wideouts.

"I still think there's some potential for Pierce to take another step forward in 2026, while Josh Downs should see more market share after the Pittman trade. He has been efficient out of the slot.

"There are stars away from wide receiver too," Barnwell continued. "Jonathan Taylor was an Offensive Player of the Year contender for most of the season before fading down the stretch, generating big plays as both a rusher and receiver by shrugging off and running past tackle attempts.

"And Tyler Warren was a Swiss Army knife for coach Shane Steichen as a rookie, lining up at just about every conceivable spot on the field and creating havoc for opposing linebackers and defensive coordinators. He was on pace to top 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie before the offense broke down after Daniel Jones got hurt.

"I'm a little concerned that Pierce is more of a really high-end WR2 than a legitimate WR1 in a very good offense," Barnwell concluded. "But if the Colts' wide receivers can hold up their end of the bargain, Taylor and Warren are top-five at their respective spots."

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The Colts showed a sign of faith in trading Michael Pittman Jr. and ascending Pierce into the WR1 role. However, the potential is there for the passing game to be even more explosive. Pierce led the NFL in yards per reception in each of the last two years, and is even coming off his first 1,000-yard season. More targets should mean more big plays.

Taylor and Warren both made the Pro Bowl last year, and Downs is expected to bounce back from a season where his numbers slipped from the norm.

The mystery is if anyone steps up in the WR3 spot outside of Pierce and Downs. Ashton Dulin is in the lead for that role, but Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Laquon Treadwell, Deion Burks, and Anthony Gould will all see an opportunity to compete.