Stampede Blue
“Being a quarterback is the day-to-day grind that you go through preparing every single day,” Steichen told reporters in April. “That’s part of consistency, and then obviously on the field. You’ve got to be consistent, take care of the football, make good decisions with the football and really move your offense down the field. The guy that’s the most consistent doing that will win the job.”
The Indianapolis Colts opened Organized Team Activities Wednesday to enter Phase 3 of the NFL offseason program.
The first week of Colts OTAs lasts through May 30 and the second week of OTAs is scheduled from June 3 through June 5. The Colts coaching staff will take the first look of the roster during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills, though contact is not allowed.
Summer headlines in Indianapolis will focus on the battle for QB1 between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones. Richardson enters his third NFL season on a mission to reclaim his role as a starter. Jones signed with the Colts during free agency and viewed it as the best situation to compete for one of the NFL’s 32 starting QB jobs.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen mentioned there is no timetable when he would like to name a starter. Both QBs will split reps throughout the offseason program and whoever shows the most consistency into training camp will win the starting job.
“Being a quarterback is the day-to-day grind that you go through preparing every single day,” Steichen told reporters in April. “That’s part of consistency, and then obviously on the field. You’ve got to be consistent, take care of the football, make good decisions with the football and really move your offense down the field. The guy that’s the most consistent doing that will win the job.”
Perhaps the most notable change is the rebuilt offensive line as Colts’ 2024 draft picks Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves are expected to assume the starting center and right guard positions. Bortolini made five starts and played 44% of the offensive snaps in 2024. Goncalves made eight starts and played 52% of the offensive snaps last season.
Colts rookie tight end Tyler Warren adds a versatile playmaker at a position unit that ranked 31st in production last season. Indy’s first round draft pick can showcase his pass-catching skills before his real value appears when the pads come on.
Linebacker Jaylon Carlies enters his second season expected to win the starting role alongside returning All-Pro linebacker Zaire Franklin. Indianapolis’ fifth round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft was limited to just 36% of the defensive snaps last season and has to gain more experience before his role is solidified. Both players sat out of Wednesday’s practice as Carlies is recovering from an offseason surgery to repair a shoulder injury and Franklin underwent a cleanup procedure to repair his ankle.
The position battle for the third starting cornerback will feature a competition between Jaylon Jones, JuJu Brents, Samuel Womack II and potentially rookie Justin Walley. The...
