Indianapolis Colts tight end Will Mallory has too much potential as a pass-catcher to be sitting inactive on gamedays.
The Indianapolis Colts drafted Tyler Warren last year to be the alpha pass catcher in a tight end room that lacked star talent. The immediate return on investment was clear with that pick, as Warren set a franchise rookie tight end record with 817 receiving yards in 17 games played.
The impact that Warren had on the rest of the room was palpable as well. Mo Alie-Cox was able to settle back in as one of the best in-line blocking tight ends in the league, and even Drew Ogletree provided surplus value as a blocking third tight end.
The only real issue is what Warren’s arrival did to Will Mallory’s role with the team.
Mallory is far from a household name, but he flashed a considerable amount as a pass catcher back in 2023. A foot injury slowed him down in 2024, and last season, with Warren added to the mix, saw Mallory completely phased out of the offense. His offensive snap count went from 159 as a rookie in 2023 to just 16 in 2025.
This is hardly a tragedy in the grand scheme of things, as a former fifth-round pick falling by the wayside is a pretty common occurrence in the NFL. The issue here is that every time Mallory does get a real chance, whether it’s in the preseason or even in sparse in game moments, he seems to produce. He’s made play after play in every training camp with the Colts, and has built up a chemistry with each of the Colts’ quarterbacks.
Even general manager Chris Ballard chimed in on this dilemma, saying that Mallory is, “One player we want to see what we can get more of.” Ballard also added that Mallory has been “stuck in a spot where he’s been the fourth tight end, but every time he’s played, he’s done pretty well.”
Mallory backed up Ballard’s claim with a masterclass performance in the preseason against the New England Patriots. He hauled in six receptions on seven targets for 80 yards in 2.5 quarters of play. It almost made evaluating the game pointless for the quarterbacks because Mallory was such an easy button in this outing.
The one concern in Mallory’s game has always been his blocking, but even that looked much improved in this game as well. He will never be as good of an in-line blocker as Alie-Cox, or even Ogletree, but he showcased some ability on the move in this game.
If the Colts can be creative with using him in motion or as a puller out in space, he can be a perfectly suitable blocker and stay on the field on run downs next season.
I’ve been patient with the Colts and Mallory over the years, even with his nonexistent offensive role last season. Blocking is an important part of playing tight end, so having guys like Ogletree and Alie-Cox over him made sense to some degree.
This year, however, needs to be the year where he is more involved in the offense. Head coach Shane Steichen is too talented of a play-caller to neglect a mismatch nightmare at tight end like this again. The potential for him and Warren working on the field together out of 12 personnel is too great to completely sideline him again for lesser pass catching threats.
With the Colts’ lack of depth at receiver and with Mallory’s improvements over the summer, it’s finally time to use this talented pass catcher more on offense. He can operate well alongside Warren, and the Colts must take advantage of this potential duo next season.
