As the chaos continues over whether certain players released by NFL teams can return to college football, various NFL figures have been asked for their views on the situation.
During a Tuesday press conference, Colts G.M. Chris Ballard said his team was approached by no rookies asking to be waived so that they could pursue a fifth season at the college level.
Ballard added this regarding the phenomenon, via Nathan Brown of the Indianapolis Star: “That’s the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard.”
He’s far from alone in that opinion. It is a ridiculous outcome. But it’s a direct result of NCAA mismanagement, flowing from the implosion of decades of antitrust violations.
The powers-that-be in college football are banking on sentiments like “that’s the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard” creating sufficient momentum to turn the Protect College Sports Act into law — giving the system the antitrust exemption is badly wants while also limiting the freedom and earning capacity of the players.
Colts Clips
Back in February, Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson requested a trade.
When nothing materialized, Richardson reported to the offseason program and has been competing to be the team’s backup behind Daniel Jones with Riley Leonard.
Richardson’s feelings may or may not have changed. But at this point, the Colts do not intend to trade him.
“He is going to be an Indianapolis Colt this year,” General Manager Chris Ballard said in his Tuesday press conference.
Richardson, 24, has continued to make strides in his development, Ballard said.
“We forget how young he is sometimes. Really proud of his growth,” Ballard said. “ There were two times in camp where I thought, OK, he’s starting to really show some poise. So the two-minute against New England, we’re backed up, I think it was 38 seconds left on the clock. Gets us in field-goal range to give us a chance to get points. And then during the Atlanta scrimmage, he had a tremendous two-minute [drive] also.
“So, it’s been fun to watch Anthony’s growth.”
Ballard did not declare whether or not Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 draft. will serve as the backup, deferring to head coach Shane Steichen. But when it comes to Richardson’s status with the team at large, Steichen said the quarterback is “in a good spot.”
“He’s a phenomenal teammate — and I don’t use that word lightly,” Ballard said. “Like, he is a great teammate. He likes to be around the team. He likes being part of the team. There’s never been a point — even going back into last year when he didn’t win the job — there’s not been one point where I’ve seen him hang his head and get salty. He’s a phenomenal teammate.”
Wide receiver Keenan Allen remains a member of the Colts after being arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated over the weekend and it doesn’t appear that’s going to change in the coming days.
General Manager Chris Ballard said at a Tuesday press conference that Allen will be in the team’s lineup for their Week 1 game against the Ravens. He also said Allen’s history in the NFL shows no sign of this being an issue that changes how the team feels about him.
“I’m not going to comment on what happened,” Ballard said. “What I’m gonna tell you is good people make mistakes. He’s a tremendous human being, give him some grace and he’ll work through the process of the legal system.”
Ballard said that any discipline from the team will be handled in-house. Allen will also be subject to league discipline under the Personal Conduct Policy.
The Raiders had the top waiver priority over the weekend and used it to pick up cornerback Darrell Luter.
It turns out they were far from the only team interested in the former 49er.
Per Field Yates of ESPN, the Titans, Dolphins, Cowboys, and Colts also put in a claim for Luter. But because the Raiders were first in line, they were the team to get him.
Yates notes no other player had more than two teams put in a claim for him.
A fifth-round pick in 2023, Luter has appeared in 27 games with three starts over the last three seasons. In 2025, he appeared in all 17 games with three starts, recording 28 total tackles with one pass defensed and one fumble recovery.
Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike did not go on injured reserve while the team set its initial 53-man roster, which means that the team does not think he will miss the first four games of the season as he continues working his way back from the neck injury that kept him out for most of last year.
That doesn’t mean Madubuike is going to be playing in Week 1 against the Colts, however. Madubuike did not take part in 11-on-11 work during training camp and head coach Jesse Minter declined to say at a Monday press conference if that will happen this week.
“I don’t see him obviously missing that many games,” Minter said, via the team’s website. “I think the path that’s been all along, he’s progressing more and more. So we’ll kind of evaluate these next couple weeks.”
Minter did say that Madubuike is in “a good position” and the Ravens will continue to monitor his workload to determine when he’s ready to move up to full participation in both practices and games.
The Colts needed a roster spot after claiming cornerback Kapena Gushiken off waivers from the Eagles. To make room, they released offensive tackle Luke Tenuta.
Tenuta spent time on the Colts’ active roster and practice squad last season. He appeared in four games, seeing action on 28 offensive snaps and 27 on special teams.
He also was with the Colts in 2022.
Tenuta has also had stints with the Cardinals (2024), Packers (2022-23) and Bills (2022).
He played three games for the Packers in 2022.
Indianapolis has added a player through the waiver system.
The Colts claimed defensive back Kapena Gushiken, according to the league’s transaction wire.
Gushiken had been with the Eagles in the spring and training camp after going undrafted this year.
The Colts will need to make a corresponding move to add him to their roster.
The Colts’ cuts to reach the mandatory 53-player limit included quarterback Easton Stick. The move was not a surprise as the Colts have Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson Sr. and Riley Leonard ahead of him.
The Colts also terminated the contracts of tight end Pharaoh Brown, defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, offensive guard Josh Sills, safety Juanyeh Thomas and wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.
The team waived defensive tackle Dam Ball, running back Ulysses Bentley IV, safety Austin Brown, cornerback Robert Carter Jr., running back Anderson Castle, offensive tackle Blake Freeland, tight end JJ Galbreath, wide receiver Anthony Gould, kicker Blake Grupe, wide receiver Sahmir Hagans, cornerback Kenneth Harris, center Josh Kreutz, offensive tackle Roy Mbaeteka, defensive end Mitchell Melton, tight end Tyler Moore, center Jimmy Morrissey, defensive end Durell Nchami, wide receiver Ben Nikkel, wide receiver Eli Pancol, cornerback Mekhi Rodgers, offensive tackle Nolan Rucci, safety Daniel Scott, wide receiver Raylen Sharpe, center Geno VanDeMark, linebacker Devin Veresuk, safety Trey Washington, offensive tackle Trey Wedig, linebacker West Weeks and defensive tackle Colby Wooden.
They placed wide receiver D.J. Montgomery and wide receiver Coleman Owen on season-ending injured reserve.
Tight end Will Mallory was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return.
Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen was arrested early on Sunday morning in Indianapolis and he was released from custody on Sunday afternoon.
Allen left the Marion County Jail shortly before 4 p.m. according to police records. A police report obtained by multiple media outlets shows that Allen was arrested after police officers approached Allen’s vehicle while it was parked in a no-parking zone.
Allen allegedly showed signs of intoxication and is facing misdemeanor charges of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. He has a court date scheduled for September 16.
The Colts signed Allen earlier this month and he made his first appearance for the team in their final preseason game on Saturday.
The Colts have picked a winner in their kicking competition: Spencer Shrader.
Blake Grupe has been released, leaving Shrader as the only kicker on the roster.
Shrader may have locked up the job when he made a 60-yard field goal in yesterday’s preseason finale, although Shrader already appeared to be in the lead based on his superior performance in the previous two preseason games.
Last year the Colts started the season with Shrader as their kicker and finished the season with Grupe taking Shrader’s place after an injury. Now Shrader is healthy, and he has the Colts’ kicking job back.
