Indianapolis Colts QB Daniel Jones is excited to have tight end Tyler Warren.
Getty
Indianapolis Colts QB Daniel Jones is excited to have rookie tight end Tyler Warren.
It’s a foregone conclusion that the Indianapolis Colts are going to live or die in 2025 based on the play of quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones. I’d say “or,” but I have a feeling it’s going to be a joint effort throughout the season. Call it an educated hunch.
But, of course they are going to need help. And while the wide receiver core is decent – not thrilling – the quarterbacks are going to need something else.
And, according to NFL.com’s Dan Parr, that something else could be rookie tight end Tyler Warren, who he thinks could become one of the best tight ends in the NFL.
“If the Colts can’t get something at least resembling average quarterback play from Anthony Richardson and/or Daniel Jones, it’s going to be a long year in Indianapolis, but Warren is the type of player who can make life easier for his passer,” Parr writes. “In fact, he might quickly become the No. 1 target for the team (and one of the best tight ends in the league) if he keeps wowing us with one-handed grabs.”
Tyler Warren is similar to Rob Gronksowksi
Warren was used heavily at Penn State. Last year, he caught 104 passes in 16 games for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns. Pretty impressive, right?
It is, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Watching Penn State games last season, you see #44 lined up everywhere and anywhere regardless of down or distance. It was clear that they’d have gotten Warren the ball via lawn darts if they were allowed (yes, lawn darts are banned in the U.S. these days).
Parr cites one draft analyst that actually pulled out the Rob Gronkowski card.
“To give you a better idea of what he’s capable of, NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah described Warren as similar to Rob Gronkowski “in a lot of ways” this spring,” Parr continued. “The Penn State product provides an element Indy sorely lacked in 2024. Colts passers had a league-low 52.5 rating when targeting tight ends last season, per Next Gen Stats (the next-lowest mark was 77.4). Warren’s ceiling might be limited by the squad’s QB questions, but a strong rookie year from the No. 14 overall pick would provide a dose of optimism.”
Warren looked good in first preseason action
Warren got his first taste of the NFL in the team’s preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens Thursday night. Is he on his way to becoming the best tight end in the league already?
Jones wasn’t ready to say all that, but he’s clearly excited to have him around.
“He’s, pretty much from Day 1, showed up and made a lot of plays for us,” Jones said. “Just got a great feel for the game, for space, for getting open and tonight’s the first night we saw him in pads and he has a tendency to fall forward and gain a few more yards than you think. He’s a good football player. I know he’s working hard to improve but he’s been great since he’s been here.”
Warren thought his first game went well, even if he didn’t get all that much playing time and ended up with three catches for 40 yards.
“I thought it was good to be out there, do it live in a real NFL game setting,” Warren said. “I thought we were flowing pretty well on offense, and I thought it was a good start to learn and grow from.”