The Colts selected Leonard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft because they liked his football IQ, toughness and personality, seeing those as potentially being a good fit in a quarterback room with Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson Sr. Bean, a 2024 undrafted free agent, is a dynamic athlete who spent all of last year on the Colts' practice squad.
The 72 or so hours after Saturday's game ends can be an unsettling time for players on the roster bubble, but neither quarterback is thinking much beyond this weekend's trip down I-74 to Cincinnati.
"I'm not really looking too far into the future," Bean said. "I'm worried about this week and this game we have this week. And whatever decisions they make at the end of the week, you know, just the decision that they feel is the best need for this team. Whether I'm here, whether I'm somewhere else or no matter what happens, I'm just going to have to live with that and know that I gave my all, and that's all I can pretty much do."
Leonard, who's completed 19 of 36 passes for 156 yards over two preseason games, said he hasn't put any added pressure on himself this preseason to prove himself.
"Coming from Notre Dame, there's a lot of pressure there," Leonard, who quarterbacked the Irish to the College Football Playoff Championship Game in January, said. "So to come here and just try to be your best every day, it's really not too bad."
Steichen, though, said Saturday will be "big" for Leonard, who – like any third-string quarterback – may not get another opportunity to play for quite some time.
"He's gotten some good reps in training camp, but to get a whole half of action will be good for him and his development," Steichen said.
These games where neither team plays their starters often become extremely competitive, with guys on the field understanding it's their last chance to make a positive impression before 38 players are cut on Tuesday (the Colts have 91 players on their active roster with German tight end Maximilian Mang counting as an international exemption).
And players who stand out in these type of games do, sometimes, wind up being significant contributors in the regular season. Steichen pointed to running back Austin Ekeler, a 2017 undrafted free agent who impressed in his first preseason and has gone on to score 73 touchdowns over an eight-year NFL career.
"When I was at the Chargers with him, we played in San Francisco, and he caught a couple passes and broke away and kind of made a name for himself in that game for us," Steichen said. "We kept him on the roster, and he's become a great player in this league for a long time. So, you never know who it's going to be for us this year. I'm excited to see those guys go and play Saturday."