The Colts announced their initial 53-man roster for 2025, but changes could still happen in the next 24-48 hours.
QUARTERBACKS (3): Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard, Anthony Richardson Sr.
Leonard earns his way onto the Colts’ roster as their emergency third quarterback after an impressive performance in the Colts’ final preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Both Jones and Richardson have dealt with various injuries in their careers, so this move doesn’t come as much of a surprise.
Head coach Shane Steichen named Daniel Jones as the Colts’ starting quarterback for 2025 last week, with Richardson as the backup quarterback.
RUNNING BACKS (3): D.J. Giddens, Tyler Goodson, Jonathan Taylor
Goodson (32 carries for 153 yards in 2024) is still recovering from an elbow injury sustained in the Colts’ preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, but Steichen said he is “progressing really well.” Giddens impressed during training camp, competing for second-string snaps and showing off his burst and physicality.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6): Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould, Adonai Mitchell, Alec Pierce, Michael Pittman Jr.
The Colts’ wide receivers room has been pretty well set throughout the preseason; there was never any question about Downs, Pierce and Pittman starting. All six receivers occupied spots on the Colts’ 53-man roster in 2024 as well, as one of the few position groups without any turnover or new additions in the offseason.
Mitchell is coming off a strong training camp and looking to make a big jump in productivity in his second season. Dulin brings depth and versatility and Gould, who will be a kick and/or punt returner, also proved his value as a spark on offense throughout camp.
TIGHT ENDS (4): Mo Alie-Cox, Will Mallory, Drew Ogletree, Tyler Warren
The Colts’ tight end room presents many exciting opportunities, and it’s not just because of Warren, even though the rookie does have the potential to transform the Colts’ entire offense. Mallory had a very impressive camp as he showed off his abilities as a receiver and Ogletree showed improvements in both blocking and receiving. All four tight ends made big plays throughout training camp and preseason games.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Tanor Bortolini, Matt Goncalves, Quenton Nelson, Danny Pinter, Bernhard Raimann, Braden Smith, Luke Tenuta, Jalen Travis, Dalton Tucker
The makeup of the Colts’ offensive line is generally younger than it has been in years past; Raimann, Nelson and Smith are well-established starters, but Bortolini and Goncalves are entering their second seasons in the NFL. As for backups, Pinter is in his sixth year in the league but Tucker is in his second year and Travis is a rookie.
Tucker, while listed as a right guard on the Colts’ roster, has played at both guard positions and took snaps at center in the Colts’ third preseason game against the Bengals.
DEFENSIVE LINE (11): Adetomiwa Adebawore, DeForest Buckner, Samson Ebukam, Neville Gallimore, Eric Johnson II, Laiatu Latu, Tyquan Lewis, Kwity Paye, Tim Smith, Grover Stewart, J.T. Tuimoloau
The Colts’ defensive line is once again stacked with talent and promise, especially with Latu making big strides in his first NFL offseason. Paye, after sustaining a groin injury during training camp, returned to practice last week. Both Lewis and Adebawore showed promise during training camp and preseason games, and Tuimoloau adds even more depth to the line.
LINEBACKERS (4): Joe Bachie, Zaire Franklin, Cameron McGrone, Segun Olubi
The Colts placed Jaylon Carlies (ankle) on injured reserve Tuesday but still have plenty of talent at the linebacker position. Franklin is the vet of the group, but Bachie is already very familiar with Anarumo’s defense thanks to their shared time in Cincinnati and established himself as a reliable starter in camp.
McGrone was consistently given opportunities to play alongside the starters in training camp and preseason games and showed plenty of promise while out on the field.
CORNERBACKS (6): Mekhi Blackmon, Johnathan Edwards, Xavien Howard, Jaylon Jones, Kenny Moore II, Charvarius Ward
Lou Anarumo’s defense tends to rely heavily on its cornerbacks, and with Jones recently returning from hamstring injuries sustained in training camp the Colts are back to having a talented group at the cornerback position. The additions of Ward and Howard mean two more veterans join the group, each with years of experience and success on a personal and team level alike.
The Colts acquired Blackmon on Monday from the Minnesota Vikings.
SAFETIES (4): Camryn Bynum, Nick Cross, Daniel Scott, Rodney Thomas II
After Hunter Wohler sustained a season-ending foot injury, Scott took advantage of his opportunity and put on a strong performance in the Colts’ final preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, earning a spot on the 53-man roster for the first time in his career; Scott sustained season-ending injuries in the past two preseasons.
Bynum brings an increased level of skill and security to the secondary with his proven playmaking ability, and while Cross has been held out of practices with a hip injury Steichen said he expects Cross to return to practice before the Colts’ season opener against the Miami Dolphins.
SPECIALISTS (3): LS Luke Rhodes, P Rigoberto Sanchez, PK Spencer Shrader
Shrader won the kicking competition over undrafted free agent rookie Maddux Trujillo. Shrader got the bulk of the reps in training camp practices and preseason games, converting nine of his 10 field goal attempts and all three of his PATs.
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