Indianapolis

Colts

Allen has played with Colts head coach Shane Steichen when Steichen was calling plays with the Chargers, so the pairing makes some sense there. Boyd seems to believe that Alec Pierce’s ankle-related absence may make the Colts try a play for a veteran wideout. It would be a weird fit between Allen and Josh Downs to have the offense revolve around two slot-majority wideouts if Pierce weren’t ready for the start of the regular season.

The article cites Buckner resuming running in April, but he was not involved in spring workouts and the picture painted here is one where a Week 1 return is no sure thing. Buckner underwent neck surgery late last season and turned 32 years old in March. The Colts defense looks like a shaky unit this year anyway, but if Buckner or Charvarius Ward (concussions) can’t make it to Week 1 they could potentially be flammable and a unit to stream against.

Before digging into the numbers, keep in mind that Pierce is currently recovering from offseason ankle surgery and could return “late” in training camp. In the 2025 regular season, just six players earned 150-plus targets. Pierce earned targets at a 17.4 percent rate last year, trailing both WR Josh Downs (22.2 percent) and TE Tyler Warren (21.1 percent) in that area. Pierce is stuck working with the training staff, while Downs trains for the Z-receiver/slot receiver role, and Warren refines his route running after leading the team in targets as a rookie. Simply put, we strongly doubt Pierce’s odds of becoming a top-six NFL target earner. This vote of confidence is a positive for Pierce, but there are real questions about whether he can sustain a major target pace.

According to PFF, Downs has logged 1,561 slot snaps and 448 perimeter snaps over the course of his career. Per Colts coach Shane Steichen, the plan this offseason was to get Downs some reps on the outside in spring practices “and see where that goes.” Downs clearly profiles as the second-best Colts receiver behind Alec Pierce, so it makes plenty of sense to see if he can stick on the field in 12-personnel sets. With Pierce (ankle) still sidelined and on a murky timetable for the beginning of the season, there is also a path for Downs to see a heavy target share if Pierce is sidelined early. Downs has a chance to beat his current WR4 ADP.

Warren led the team with 112 targets last season, joining former Colts WR Marvin Harrison (118) as the only rookies to lead the team in receiving in franchise history. Chappell notes that the Colts will need more from all of their pass catchers, with former No. 1 WR Michael Pittman Jr. now a Steeler, but he chose to build the article around Warren’s 2026 outlook, which says something. Warren has focused on exploding out of his breaks this offseason, in an effort to create more space from defenders as a route runner. If he can refine this aspect of his game, he should continue to generate explosive gains regularly this season. Warren is a TE1 in fantasy drafts, whose stock should increase as QB Daniel Jones (Achilles) continues making progress in his rehab.

Taylor, 27, has totaled more than 320 offensive touches in each of the last two seasons. His current $14 million annual salary makes him the seventh-highest-paid running back in the league. Taylor has set multiple Colts records, operating as the centerpiece of Indianapolis’ offense for years. FOX 59’s Mike Chappell writes that it is “uncertain whether there’s a mutual desire to keep Taylor in Indy beyond 2025.” Multiple Colts stars, including DTs DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, OG Quenton Nelson and WR Josh Downs, are also entering the final year of their deal. Chappell believes owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon “might believe it’s more prudent to allow the upcoming season to run its course rather than reinvest in lucrative contracts.” Time will tell.

Pierce is facing a 4-6 month recovery period after undergoing ankle surgery in late April. His Week 1 status is very much up in the air. Just before announcing his ankle injury, Pierce signed a four-year, $116 million contract with the Colts, who expect Pierce to be the team’s top wideout after Michael Pittman left for the Steelers. It could be a slow start to the regular season for Pierce, strictly a downfield pass catcher. Eventually he should be Daniel Jones’ No. 1 target in the balanced Colts offense.

On April 20th, Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Pierce was looking at a three-month recovery after undergoing surgery on his ankle. The Colts’ exact training camp start and end dates have not yet been announced, but last year, it ran from July 23rd to August 14th. Returning partway through camp would technically put him a little bit behind schedule. Pierce signed a four-year, $114 million contract, so we know the team certainly hopes to increase his involvement this season. However, while Pierce rehabs post-op, WR Josh Downs and TE Tyler Warren continue to get into football shape while honing their craft. Pierce will still have time to get ready for the season if he returns in early August, but he’ll be cutting it closer than he ideally would.

The need is clearly there with second-round pick Jaylahn Tuimoloau, Micheal Clemons and Arden Key competing for the role next to Laiatu Latu at the moment. Boyd also mentions Cameron Jordan, Jadeveon Clowney and Leonard Floyd among others as possibilities. The veteran edge rusher and wideout markets are still unfolding ahead of training camp.

Walley tore his ACL last August in training camp after a promising offseason that seemed to have him as a possibility to start right away. It looks like he’ll be full-go in training camp and should have a decent shot at starting. The 80th overall pick in the draft in 2025, Walley’s absence was a big part of the reason the Colts dealt for Sauce Gardner at midseason last year, and it sounds like he could replace Kenny Moore in the slot for the Colts in 2026.