Source: Justin Casterline / Getty
**INDIANAPOLIS** **–** We asked the questions (53 of them), so it is time to answer them.
The 2025 Colts training camp wrapped up last Thursday after 12 total practices in Westfield.
Prior to the start of camp we asked 53 questions on the 2025 Colts, so let’s answer them:
**When will Anthony Richardson return to throwing?** Right away. Outside of minuscule limited volume restrictions during individual periods of practice, Anthony Richardson showed no signs of being scaled back, especially in the most meaningful parts of practice (the 11-on-11 periods). This was key in Richardson re-starting the quarterback competition.
**Will learning Lou Anarumo’s defense be a challenge for the Colts defense?** This answer probably gets more clarity as the regular season arrives. But not having Zaire Franklin make his camp debut until about the mid-way point at Grand Park wasn’t ideal from an installation standpoint. Franklin has taken the least amount of 11-on-11 reps of any Colts starting defender.
**Will there be a true quarterback competition?** Yes. Definitely. Thanks to Anthony Richardson being ready for full-team reps to start camp, the Colts were able to pit Daniel Jones against Richardson from the beginning of things at Grand Park.
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**What are Carlie Irsay-Gordon’s expectations for 2025?** Unlike her dad, we did not hear from Carlie Irsay-Gordon at Grand Park. That’s not the biggest surprise, as it is thought she will keep a lower media profile than her father. Having said that, how Irsay-Gordon views this season of pillar unkonwns (GM, HC, QB) is such a critical part to how this 2025 season will unfold. While Irsay-Gordon isn’t going to show her cards too much, I don’t view her as someone who will be content coasting through her first season atop the organization, accepting of the worst playoff drought this franchise has experienced since the early 1990s.
**Is the second-year jump coming for Laiatu Latu?** After a quieter start to camp, Laiatu Latu really flashed at the night practice in Westfield. And his playmaking continued, from both sides of the line. It’s hard to look back on Latu’s rookie season and not say he hit the proverbial rookie wall. After a fine start his first NFL season, Latu didn’t have a sack, quarterback hit or tackle for loss in any of the final 5 games. The Colts are intrigued by new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo unlocking more production out of Latu, as the franchise is still searching for a true, disruptive presence off the edge.
**Who will win the starting center job?** This was a pretty true 1 v. 1 starting battle for the first week or so of camp. But Tanor Bortlini secured things just prior to the team heading to Baltimore for their first joint practice/preseason opener. Danny Pinter, with his handful of years of occasional starting duty, should be viewed as the backup center although a right leg injury sidelined him for some valuable August time. Expect Bortolini, the 4th round pick out of Wisconsin in 2024, to be the new starting center with Ryan Kelly now in Minnesota.
**Is Spencer Shrader the Colts kicker of the future?** It appears so, at least for the 2025 campaign. Shrader took an early kicking lead in the competition with Maddux Trujillo and secured the job mid-way through August, with strong game performance against the Packers. Shrader did have some struggles north of 50 yards, but he was still better than Trujillo. The Colts are extremely high on the kicking future of Shrader. It’s a huge reason, more than the finances, of saying enough was enough with Matt Gay. We will now see that play out in 2025.
**How much of a Jonathan Taylor workload do the Colts want in 2025?** There are not many running backs in the NFL carrying a heavier workload nowadays than Taylor. In 2024, Taylor (21.6 carries per game) was second to Saquon Barkley (21.8 carries per game), as those two were the only NFL runners north of 20 rushes per game. Do the Colts still want Taylor to continue at that pace with another year of wear and tear on those tires? It didn’t seem like any of the backup running backs truly established themselves though in that RB2 role. Maybe rookie D.J. Giddens?
**Does Jelani Woods have a healthy season left in him?** That was a healthy training camp for Jelani Woods, although I still think he’s on the outside looking in for a roster spot. The Colts seem to have a more consistent top 4 at tight end—Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree and Will Mallory. This is the final year of Woods’ rookie contract, and he more than deserved a healthy offseason. Could he find a spot on the practice squad?
**Will Kwity Paye earn a second contract?** We didn’t see anything too earth shattering from Kwity Paye in camp, with a hip injury keeping him out for the past week or so. Yes, he is expected to play a starting role in the final year of his rookie contract. But under a new defensive coordinator, Paye must prove himself to garner that lucrative second contract for a former first-round pick. While Dayo Odeyingbo walked in free agency, the Colts will see if their other top-2 round draft pick from the 2021 draft class makes it to a second contract.
**How much playing time is there for AD Mitchell?** After an ugly first week of training camp, AD Mitchell turned some heads the rest of the way. Mitchell has oozing talent, with the Colts believing he’s got the most of any wideout in that room. But giving him consistent, notable playing time remains difficult. And that’s a good thing with Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce and Josh Downs pacing the group. Still, Mitchell is too talented not to involve in some packages each week.
**Will another kickoff rule change effect the Colts approach at all?** As a reminder, we are expecting even more kick returns in 2025 as a new touchback rule placing the ball on the 35-yard line will likely lead to teams trying for more returnable kicks in the field of play. Well, the Colts got gashed by the Ravens with a big kick return in Week 1 of the preseason. But bounced back nicely against the Packers.
**How much will Shane Steichen’s changes to training camp impact the Colts?** Shane Steichen did have a few wrinkles in camp, with a consistent stretch of full-padded days following the initial ramp-up period. Steichen also had two specific practices that focused on a scrimmage format. In incorporating more random sudden change/situational periods within a practice, will any of this matter or even help get the Colts to end that dreadful Week 1 winning drought, which dates back to the 2013 season?
**Which rookie will play the most in 2025?** Tyler Warren is now the obvious choice. At cornerback, Justin Walley seemed poise to challenge there, but a torn ACL has ended his rookie season. Expect JT Tuimoloau to rotate along the defensive line. At safety, Hunter Wohler’s season ended over the weekend with a foot injury. Outside of those, there doesn’t appear to be a real threat. Perhaps Jalen Travis at one of the tackle spots if Braden Smith and/or Bernhard Raimann suffered a serious injury. Maybe D.J. Giddens is the top backup to Jonathan Taylor.
**Do the Colts have enough room for 5 tight ends?** Again, I’d be stunned. You would be looking at a group of Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory and Jelani Woods all making the team. The Colts would _really_ be pinching at other spots to make such a luxury occur. Some have debated Mallory or Woods for that 4th and final tight end spot. I’ll go with Mallory.
**Will Alec Pierce find more to his game in a contract year?** It was a pretty nice camp for Pierce, before a groin injury took him off the field in the final week of camp. As Pierce heads into an expected lucrative second contract, he’s got some individual improvement on his mind. We know Pierce is dynamic as a home run threat. But he wants to be better in making plays after the catch and more consistent in producing underneath (think more singles and doubles to continue the baseball analogy). That seemed to be there for Pierce along with his patented deep ball ability.
**Is Matt Goncalves a locked-in starter at right guard?** Yep. As expected, there was no true competition for Matt Goncalves at right guard. Despite little right guard experience in his background, the second-year guard out of Pittsburgh was the team’s definite starter there during the spring, and that continued at every Grand Park practice. With Will Fries now in Minnesota, the Colts will look internally for that replacement and think that Goncalves as more future there, versus at right guard. Dalton Tucker (7 starts in 2024) is probably the backup there.
**How much will Daniel Jones/Anthony Richardson play in the preseason?** An annual question takes on even more of a focus when you have an actual quarterback battle. How much will Shane Steichen want to see these guys in game settings, across the three preseason games? Steichen had the original plan for getting each of the QBs about 2 quarters of action across the first two preseason games (that was stunted when Richardson had to leave the first opener game early). And that’s what happened. With injuries playing a factor, Steichen is deciding to withhold both Jones and Richardson from action in Saturday’s preseason finale.
**How unique will the Colts be in their short-yardage run game?** If I could bet on any aspect of the 2025 Colts being truly elite, this would might be the area I’d put atop the list. While the Colts didn’t show a ton at Grand Park, I’m still bullish on this, even with Daniel Jones, who can scoot. Think about the possibilities of Jones, Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Warren and even an Anthony Richardson sub package in those situations? Given Shane Steichen’s willingness to be creative in those moments, there’s no reason why the Colts shouldn’t flourish in short-yardage.
**Is a revival coming for Daniel Jones?** It would be totally unfair to commit to that after watching Jones in training camp. Yes, Jones was mostly efficient and strayed away from turnovers in camp, but he also showed a reluctancy to push the ball down the field. The Jones we saw at Grand Park seems to be pretty much in line with the back of his baseball card so far.
**Is there a role for a pass catching running back?** Following a year in which no one emerged into this role last season, I didn’t witness anyone doing so during the 2025 camp. I’ll be very curious to see if the Colts actually slot a running back into that 3rd\-down role. Tyler Goodson and D.J. Giddens got the most consistent reps behind Jonathan Taylor, as veteran Khalil Hebert battled a late-camp injury. It would benefit the Colts greatly if someone emerged into this area, allowing Taylor to primarily be used as the elite 1st and 2nd down runner he continues to be. But that was hard to see at Grand Park, and then Goodson (left elbow) got hurt in the second preseason game. Is this a wavier claim area?
**How different will Lou Anarumo’s defense be?** While the health in the secondary (mainly at cornerback) wasn’t there for the bulk of camp, you still got a glimpse into Lou Anarumo wanting to play more aggressive with his coverages. The thought with bringing in Anarumo is the Colts defense will be dictating more and less reactionary than life under Gus Bradley. Some more pressure, some more man coverage, some more disguising are all areas the Colts are looking to implement under the veteran defensive coordinator.
**Which tight end should be sweating a roster spot?** Jelani Woods has to be the answer here. I would have Woods on the outside of my 53-man roster projection, especially if the Colts are keeping just 4 tight ends. On paper, the Colts have 4 tight ends that look to be in good standing: Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory. Perhaps Woods can find a practice squad spot.
**Who makes up the third-down pass rush package?** The “Indy Car” package, as we like to label it, is going to have DeForest Buckner in it and Laiatu Latu. I don’t know if I can write in sharpie the other two names. I’d probably go with Kwity Paye (not healthy for the last week or so) in one spot. If they go to a 4th, Neville Gallimore would add some bulk, rookie JT Tuimoloau moved around quite a lot, so he’s a name to watch as well. Tyquan Lewis had a pretty healthy camp, and has prior versatility. And you have Samson Ebukam returning from a torn Achilles.
**Is the deep ball going to part of the Colts offense?** Even with the big-armed Anthony Richardson, we hardly saw any true deep balls/big completions during camp. This is a usual Richardson staple, but we didn’t see it much. Any lingering shoulder issues contributing to this? We did see Jones hit some homers with Pierce in the spring, but that hasn’t really been part of his NFL game and it wasn’t at Grand Park. It’s not an arm strength issue for Jones, more of a willingness question. I’ll be very curious how this develops with Jones (and Pierce specifically).
**Is there a sleeper on defense that will impact in 2025?** At linebacker, Joe Bachie and possibly Cam McGrone belongs into this category. In the secondary, you have several names at cornerback who could factor in (Alex Johnson, Johnathan Edwards). A lack of proven depth at linebacker and safety always put those two spots more on the radar for someone to earn such a distinction. And we’ve seen that. Did the Hunter Wohler safety push former draft pick Daniel Scott (5th round in 2023) into a fringe playing role?
**What is the rookie impact for Tyler Warren?** He’s going to play. Play a lot. And touch the ball a lot. To really no surprise, Warren was very impressive in camp and the Colts clearly want to get him the ball in a variety of ways. Unlike past years, go ahead and draft the Colts top tight end on your fantasy teams, and that guy is No. 84.
**Will any undrafted rookie make the team on offense?** I still think it’s unlikely. But the back end of the running back position is not one I have a great read on just yet, as veteran Khalil Herbert has battled a late-camp injury. Running back Ulysses Bentley IV is the one I’m keeping an eye on, but I still think he is a long shot.
**What is the rookie role for second-round pick J.T. Tuimoloau?** I’m expecting a versatile, rotational role for the Ohio State product. Even though Tuimoloau doesn’t have the same body makeup of a departing Dayo Odeyignbo (who played the most Colts DL snaps in 2024), Lou Anarumo seemed open to using Tuimoloau in a couple of different spots along the defensive line. It was a nice camp for the second-round pick.
**Will Anthony Gould find any offensive role?** Even though Gould had some strong moments at Grand Park, I still think it’s going to be hard for him to see a consistent offensive role. That’s just an indicator of what the Colts have at receiver and particularly the slot presence of Josh Downs. Having said that, if Downs were to miss time in 2025 (and he is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury), it would be interesting to see how the Colts would replace him. Did Gould do enough this offseason to get that opportunity?
**Any contract extension for Bernhard Raimann?** Yep. About a week into training camp, Bernhard Raimann inked a new 4-year extension. This was very deserving for a quality left tackle who has earned the right to be a cornerstone player for the franchise, no matter who is occupying the roles of general manager and head coach.
**How healthy is Braden Smith?** Very. To use Braden Smith’s words, he labeled himself in a “spectacular place” when explaining his mental state. Physically, Smith had one of his most available camps in a while, as he missed just one day of training camp. Now, Smith did hurt his left groin in the preseason game vs. Green Bay, but his absence isn’t expected to be too long.
**Who emerges as the No. 2 running back?** Is it Tyler Goodson? That might surprise some people, but Goodson definitely stood out among the running backs behind Jonathan Taylor. With veteran Khalil Herbert dealing with a late-camp injury, it was mainly Goodson and D.J. Giddens getting the reps behind Taylor. I think it’s still a tad murky how exactly the Colts will handle reps behind Taylor, but Goodson deserves some acknowledgment, pending the status of his left elbow injury.
**How far behind will starting linebackers Zaire Franklin and Jaylon Carlies be?** This one went into a couple of different directions. Zaire Franklin didn’t get into practice/full team drills into the final week of camp. Jaylon Carlies appeared to lose his grip on a starting spot just prior to suffering an August ankle injury, which he has yet to return from. It sounds like that starting spot next to Franklin will not go to just one player, but more of a rotation, among Joe Bachie, Cam McGrone, Austin Ajiake and Carlies.
**Will Anthony Richardson find methodical better in the passing game?** I would label this as a “soft yes.” While Richardson’s pure completion percentage in training camp wasn’t an improvement from previous years, he was more on-target when throwing the ball underneath, which was an area that had to get better. Of course, now the question becomes if Richardson can translate this into actual game settings. And that is obviously on hold with him losing the quarterback battle.
**What is the depth at linebacker?** The Colts certainly played a lot of linebackers with their starting defense throughout training camp. That’s what happens when Zaire Franklin (ankle) is sidelined for two weeks and the spot next to him turns into an open battle. Among the linebackers that you would slot into the depth category is Joe Bachie, Jaylon Carlies, Cam McGrone, Austin Ajiake. It’s interesting to have noted Segun Olubi not as high on the linebacker depth chart, but knowing he’s been a very valuable special teamer in recent years.
**Is there a battle for a 3rd cornerback spot?** Honestly, until Justin Walley tore his ACL in the joint practice with the Ravens, this went from Jaylon Jones’ spot to what looked to be the rookie being the 3rd corner. Walley was seriously turning some heads. But his season-ending injury re-turned this into a battle/unknown spot.
**Where is Samson Ebukam at from his torn Achilles?** As Ebukam hit the 12-month mark from his torn Achilles, he was a frequent practice player at Grand Park. Outside of some pitch count watching, Ebukam practiced consistently in camp. Expect him to be involved in some sort of the defensive end rotation. A locked-in starting spot, like he was in 2023, is not a guarantee.
**Will we see a veteran free agent addition at linebacker?** Nope. Just like in the spring, the Colts largely stayed away from a notable linebacker addition from the veteran market. Joe Bachie and his 60 total defensive snaps across the last 3 years is the only real addition the Colts have made at linebacker. Lou Anarumo seems content to rotate next to Zaire Franklin with a group of guys that have hardly proved themselves in the NFL.
**Will any undrafted rookie make the team on defense?** While depth questions were there entering camp at linebacker and safety, it might be cornerback where we see an undrafted free agent make the 53-man roster. The name who has emerged there, with injury certainly being a major factor, is Johnathan Edwards out of Tulane. Further injury statuses to Kenny Moore II, Jaylon Jones and JuJu Brents has opened the door for Edwards.
**Is there a sleeper on offense that will impact in 2025?** Maybe Tyler Goodson at running back? What about Will Mallory at tight end? Roles behind Jonathan Taylor is still up in the air, and Goodson had a strong camp offensively, with a needed role on special teams. For Mallory, earning consistent tight end playing time is harder, but his receiving strength could be utilized in some capacity.
**Will Nick Cross back up his breakout season?** It was a pretty quiet camp for Cross as he plays out the final year on his rookie contract. A groin injury sidelined Cross for the final week and a half of camp. When Cross plays in Lou Anarumo’s defense, expect him in more of a strong safety role.
**Do we see the Colts scale back the playing time for their starting defensive tackles?** There’s probably hope for this to be the case. But doing that remains a mystery. Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner are still effective players, despite reaching north of 30 years old. Ideally, Neville Gallimore would headline a defensive tackle depth group that can keep Buckner and Stewart fresh late in the seasons as their impressive careers reach the latter stages.
**Who is the backup swing tackle?** I’m not sure if we got true separation here between rookie Jalen Travis and Blake Freeland, until the preseason game against Green Bay. That’s when the Colts used Travis as a starting left tackle for an injured Bernhard Raimann (ankle), and then Freeland unfortunately broke his right leg in that game. Could this be a spot the Colts try and make a waiver claim? Travis is one play away from having a _huge_ role.
**Is rookie Justin Walley going to carve out a rookie role?** He was definitely going to. What a shame it was to see Justin Walley go down in the joint practice against the Ravens with a torn ACL. He was well on his way to securing a valuable third cornerback position. It’s possible Walley would have been the 2025 Colts rookie to play the most of any first-year player.
**How will the tight end playing time play out?** Yep, it’s (obviously) true that Tyler Warren will be the heavy snap man at tight end. After him though it’s a little harder to define consistent roles. Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree are probably more of the “blockers.” And then Will Mallory is more in the “receiving” mold.
**Who will make up the defensive line depth?** Let’s go with 4-man starting defensive line combo of Kwity Paye, DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart and Laiatu Latu sound. If that hypothetical plays out, look for depth pieces in the form of Samson Ebukam and J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyquan Lewis, Neville Gallimore, Adetomiwa Adebawore. I’m probably missing one more wide-body defensive tackle to toss into that group.
**What role will be there for the No. 2 running back?** Jonathan Taylor averaged more than 21 carries per game last season. He played around 65 percent of his team’s offensive snaps, per game. So that’s a nice chunk available to split up behind Taylor. I didn’t see a ton of real separation behind Taylor though in camp to slot out distinct roles. Tyler Goodson flashed but his status is up in the air after a left elbow injury. D.J. Giddens showed a bit of why many like him as a draft sleeper. And veteran Khalil Herbert battled a late-camp injury.
**Which Day 3 draft pick will play the most in Year One?** Good luck trying to peg this one. D.J. Giddens at running back? If an injury occurs at offensive tackle, specifically Braden Smith, then 4th round pick Jalen Travis would probably take this claim. Hunter Wohler was going to be a strong candidate until his season-ending foot injury. I’ll go with Giddens.
**Is there a third quarterback competition?** Nope. Not even the list bit. At times, I forgot Jason Bean was even on the roster with how few of reps the Colts gave him this camp. Rookie Riley Leonard is definitely the 3rd quarterback.
**How much shadowing will be there for Charvarius Ward?** This is probably more of a regular season answer, but both Ward and Lou Anarumo continue to talk like this will be something the Colts use in 2025. How much though? Remains to be seen. Having Ward shadow opposing top wideouts is a new, and interesting, wrinkle coming to the Colts playbook in 2025.
**What leadership is Cam Bynum bringing to the safety position?** In losing Julian Blackmon, the Colts no longer have a key voice at the back end of their defense. Cam Bynum enters though eager to fill that void and you could feel and see that witness at different points during camp. Play wise, Bynum definitely got his hands on several passes in the Grand Park practices.
**Will Josh Downs be unlocked in his third NFL season?** After a bit of a slower start to camp, Josh Downs looked very much like his normal self as camp moved along, until a hamstring injury in the joint practice with the Packers.. Downs has had a very nice start to his NFL career, with 68 catches as a rookie (17 games) and then 72 catches last season (14 games). Does a 100-catch season seem possible in Year 3?