INDIANAPOLIS - The Indianapolis Colts ' training camp runs from Wednesday to Aug. 14 at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana.
After missing the postseason for a fourth consecutive season in 2024, the Colts will be seeking to reverse that trend. The future of coaches, executives and players might well depend on it. There is significant pressure to win this season amid a change in ownership following the death of longtime owner Jim Irsay in May. Irsay's three daughters are now the controlling owners and might have a shorter leash than their father, who in January admitted to contemplating a change in leadership after an 8-9 finish last season.
Here's a closer look at what we are watching at camp:
Who will win the QB battle?
Training camp will likely be defined by the quarterback situation. The Colts intend to hold a position battle between incumbent Anthony Richardson Sr. and veteran free agent signee Daniel Jones.
Both players had disappointing outcomes in 2024. Richardson struggled to stay healthy and dealt with continued inconsistency as a passer -- he's completed just 50.6% of his pass attempts through two seasons -- after being selected fourth overall in 2023. Meanwhile, Jones -- another former top-10 pick -- lost his starting job with the New York Giants and subsequently asked for and received his release. He landed on the Minnesota Vikings roster but did not see action.
The Colts believe improved quarterback play will position them to win the AFC South for the first time since 2014. Can either player resurrect his career this season? That answer might dictate how it goes for Indianapolis.
Three players to watch
TE Tyler Warren: What can't this rookie do? If the Colts are right about him, the answer is not much. Warren's usage in offseason workouts portends a massive role in the offense for this year's 14th overall draft selection. Remember, he did it all at Penn State -- receiving, running, passing. Everything is on the table in Indy, as well.
CB Charvarius Ward: The Colts have historically been pretty modest when it comes to spending on their secondary. So, the three-year, $54 million free-agent contract Ward signed in the spring tells us a lot about how Indianapolis plans to use him. What ideas will new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo have for his new star corner? We'll find out soon.
WR Adonai Mitchell: His rookie season in 2024 was a study in inconsistency. But if Mitchell can ever figure out how to translate his practice success to Sundays, he is going to be a fascinating player to watch. Mitchell was one of the stars of the Colts' offseason program in the spring. Then again, he was also impressive in last year's camp, only to finish with a 41.8% catch rate.
Key position battles
Defensive end: This will be a rotational position no matter what happens, but the key question is whether second-year player Laiatu Latu takes the next step and becomes the team's premier edge player. Last season, Latu ranked third among the team's defensive ends in snap count behind Dayo Odeyingbo and Kwity Paye. With Odeyingbo moving on in free agency, can Latu take ownership of this spot? Much of that will be up to the 2024 first-rounder himself. A couple of important variables include whether he can continue developing his countermoves and showing more consistency in run defense.
Backup running back: The Colts seemed to underappreciate the loss of veteran running back Zack Moss in free agency last year. They learned a difficult lesson when no other back seemed capable of truly spelling star Jonathan Taylor, who has missed multiple games in each of the past three seasons. This year, the Colts set out to correct that mistake, signing veteran Khalil Herbert and drafting DJ Giddens from Kansas State in the fifth round. Giddens has the Colts excited with his big-play potential. He averaged 6.6 yards per attempt last season and produced 1,343 rushing yards.
One other storyline we're keeping eyes on: Contract years for key offensive players
The Colts have a couple of contract-related dilemmas they'll need to deal with. Both left tackle Bernhard Raimann and wide receiver Alec Pierce are entering the final years of their rookie deals, but neither has seen any traction on a new contract.
Raimann, a 2022 third-round pick, has developed into a key piece on the offensive line and has shown tremendous improvement from year to year. The Colts see him as their long-term answer at his critical position and it seems likely they'll find a way to keep him. Pierce's future seems much less certain. He broke out last season with a career-high seven touchdowns and a league-best 22.3 yards per catch. But a logjam at his position could make him expendable.
53-man roster projection
QB (3): Anthony Richardson Sr., Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard
RB (3): Jonathan Taylor, DJ Giddens, Khalil Herbert
WR (6): Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, Adonai Mitchell, Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould
TE (4): Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory
OL (9): Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Tanor Bortolini, Matt Goncalves, Braden Smith, Jalen Travis, Danny Pinter, Dalton Tucker, Blake Freeland
DL (10): Kwity Paye, Grover Stewart, DeForest Buckner, Laiatu Latu, Samson Ebukam, JT Tuimoloau, Tyquan Lewis, Neville Gallimore, Tim Smith, Adetomiwa Adebawore
LB (5): Zaire Franklin, Jaylon Carlies, Segun Olubi, Cameron McGrone, Joe Bachie
CB (6): Kenny Moore II, Charvarius Ward, Jaylon Jones, Justin Walley, JuJu Brents, Samuel Womack III
S (4): Camryn Bynum, Nick Cross, Rodney Thomas II, Hunter Wohler
Special teams (3): K Spencer Shrader, P Rigoberto Sanchez, LS Luke Rhodes