The Indianapolis Colts wrapped up their preseason schedule Thursday night at Philadelphia, marking Anthony Richardson’s last opportunity to receive live reps against another opponent before his NFL regular-season debut. Indianapolis begins its season at home Sept. 10 against the reigning AFC South champion Jacksonville Jaguars. The rookie quarterback did not play in the Colts’ lone preseason home game, against the Chicago Bears, so in two weeks he’ll run out of the tunnel at Lucas Oil Stadium as QB1 for the first time.
Richardson finished 6-of-17 passing for 78 yards in one half of action in Indianapolis’ 27-13 victory over the Eagles. He added five rushes for 38 yards, including a 16-yard scramble, and had another first-down scramble called back due to a holding penalty on left guard Quenton Nelson.
“I just try to keep my eyes down the field unless there’s a wide-open lane,” Richardson said. “If there’s an opportunity to give someone the ball, then it’s their job to run the ball. I just have to deliver it. If there’s an opportunity to give someone the ball I’m going to take that opportunity instead of running it myself, but if I see a lane I’m going to try to take it and get some yards for the team.”
Richardson was nearly picked off by Eagles linebacker Tyreek Maddox-Williams after staring down Michael Pittman Jr. on the Colts’ third drive, and he fumbled when the ball slipped out of his hand while trying to pass on the fifth drive, which Pittman recovered. But for the most part, Richardson made the right reads. Accuracy continues to be a work in progress for the rookie, though he made a number of plays to justify why the Colts drafted him with the No. 4 pick, despite starting just 13 games at Florida.
Richardson’s most impressive throw was a 17-yard strike down the sideline to Kylen Granson in the second quarter, and he delivered another laser to fellow rookie Josh Downs on a deep crossing route that Downs dropped with just over two minutes left in the half. Something to keep an eye on is Richardson’s connection, or lack thereof, with Alec Pierce. The second-year wideout was targeted three times but was unable to come down with any 50/50 balls. It was a struggle for them to get on the same page in the two preseason games they played.
Unlike for Richardson, Thursday’s preseason finale served as a final audition for players who are grasping for a regular-season roster spot. The deadline for NFL teams to cut their rosters down to the regular-season maximum of 53 players is Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. Here’s who I think will make the cut for Indy. (Players are listed alphabetically by their last name and R = rookie.)
Quarterbacks: 3
In: Sam Ehlinger, Gardner Minshew, Anthony Richardson (R)
Out: N/A
Analysis: There’s obviously a lot of pressure on Richardson to live up to his billing as the No. 4 pick. The success of this Colts season will be determined by his development, with veteran Minshew backing him up. Ehlinger sticks around thanks to the NFL’s new rule that allows teams to dress three quarterbacks on game day without using an active roster spot.
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Running backs: 4
In: Evan Hull (R), Deon Jackson, Zack Moss, Jonathan Taylor
Out: Kenyan Drake, Jake Funk, Jason Huntley
Analysis: Yes, the Colts are allowing Taylor to seek a trade, but the most likely scenario is he remains in Indianapolis. The 2021 first-team All-Pro still needs to be activated off the Physically Unable to Perform list. If he isn’t activated by Tuesday, Taylor would have to miss the first four games of the season, and that would open up another roster spot. If Taylor is unavailable, Moss would likely be the starter whenever he’s cleared to return from a broken right arm. He’s expected back around the start of the season. Hull looked pretty good on Thursday night, particularly in pass protection, and scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter. He had six carries for 25 yards and could be poised for more snaps alongside Richardson. Drake was the third-stringer on Thursday, and while he scored on an 8-yard reception from Minshew, he didn’t do enough throughout the preseason to climb the depth chart and avoid the practice squad.
Wide receivers: 5
In: Josh Downs (R), Isaiah McKenzie, Alec Pierce, Breshad Perriman, Michael Pittman Jr.
Out: Tyler Adams (R), Kody Case (R), Ashton Dulin, D.J. Montgomery, Amari Rodgers, Vyncint Smith, Mike Strachan, James Washington, Juwann Winfree
Perriman is the only questionable potential cut here, but I kept him because of his deep-threat capability. Losing Dulin for the season to a torn ACL is a big blow to the wideout room and special teams, so ideally Indy would like to keep a wideout with special teams prowess. However, none of the other receivers has flashed enough to warrant a sixth nod.
Tight ends: 4
In: Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Drew Ogletree, Jelani Woods
Out: Pharaoh Brown, Will Mallory (R), Ricky Seals-Jones
Analysis: Choosing just four tight ends was a tough call, but Thursday’s game convinced me that Ogletree and Granson are locks. Ogletree earned the start while Granson added two receptions for 25 yards. Both looked comfortable with Richardson. Woods has been out almost the entire summer with a hamstring injury, but his upside makes him a no-brainer to keep around. Alie-Cox is an iffy pick and it could really go either way between him and Mallory, who had two catches for a team-high 43 yards on Thursday. However, Alie-Cox is the elder statesman of the group and his experience gives him the edge.
Offensive linemen: 9
In: OT Blake Freeland (R), RG Will Fries, C Ryan Kelly, G/T Arlington Hambright, LG Quenton Nelson, G/T Carter O’Donnell, C Danny Pinter, LT Bernhard Raimann, RT Braden Smith
Out: OG Emil Ekiyor, C Wesley French, C Dakoda Shepley, OT Dan Skipper, OT Matthew Vanderslice
Analysis: Pinter was carted off the field early in Thursday’s third quarter after suffering an ankle injury. His health would obviously factor into this decision if he’s going to miss significant time. In that case, perhaps third-string center French would make the cut instead. Hambright held his own at left tackle in the preseason opener at Buffalo and at right guard during joint practices with the Bears. O’Donnell started in a place of an injured Fries, so he beats out Ekiyor.
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Defensive linemen: 9
In: DE Adetomiwa Adebawore (R), DT Taven Bryan, DT DeForest Buckner, DE Samson Ebukam, DT Eric Johnson II, DE Tyquan Lewis, DE Dayo Odeyingbo, DE Kwity Paye, DT Grover Stewart
Out: DE Titus Leo (R), DT McTelvin Agim
Analysis: This is one of the Colts’ strongest positions groups, with Buckner and Stewart leading the way. Ebukam missed a lot of time this summer due to a hamstring injury, but his roster spot was never really in jeopardy. Johnson could take another step forward this season as a reliable backup, and Adebawore has shown flashes of his potential. Leo had a solid preseason. If that carries over to the practice squad, it’s not a stretch to say the sixth-round pick could be elevated to the active roster for a few games if someone gets injured.
Linebackers: 6
In: JoJo Domann, Zaire Franklin, Shaquille Leonard, Segun Olubi, E.J. Speed, Grant Stuard
Out: Liam Anderson (R), Cameron McGrone, Donavan Mutin (R)
Analysis: Leonard is the key to this room. The four-time All-Pro is currently out with a concussion, but assuming it doesn’t linger, the bigger news is that he’s back at all. A pair of back surgeries derailed his 2022 season, so this year we should find out if he can once again be “The Maniac.” If he is fully healthy, Indianapolis could take a gamble and roll with six linebackers instead of seven. That spot may be better used somewhere else.
Cornerbacks: 6
In: Darrell Baker Jr., Julius Brents (R), Dallis Flowers, Jaylon Jones (R), Kenny Moore II, Darius Rush (R)
Out: Tony Brown, Chris Lammons, Isaac Taylor-Stuart, Kevin Toliver II
Analysis: Brents, the hometown kid, was sidelined again Thursday with an undisclosed injury. He has struggled to stay healthy this spring and summer, but as a second-round pick, his roster spot is secure. Baker and Flowers, who had his best preseason showing Thursday, are the frontrunners to start on the outside at the beginning of the season, and Moore will obviously man the slot. It was a tough call to cut Brown considering the energy he brings and his special teams experience, but Jones showed enough in the preseason to potentially supplant him.
Safeties: 4
In: Julian Blackmon, Nick Cross, Marcel Dabo (international roster exemption, so he doesn’t count against the roster), Trevor Denbow, Rodney Thomas II
Out: Henry Black, Ronnie Harrison, Teez Tabor
Analysis: Blackmon and Thomas started in the preseason finale, and I expect that to continue in the regular-season opener. Cross had a tremendous preseason playing nickel back, strong safety and free safety and could contend for a starting spot down the line. His progress is a welcome sign for the Colts, who drafted him in the 2022 third round with the idea he would have been a first-round pick a year later, had he stayed at Maryland. Denbow makes use of the extra spot left by keeping just six linebackers. He made the initial 53-man roster last year before going on IR with an undisclosed injury and brings special teams experience.
Special teams: 3
In: K Matt Gay, LS Luke Rhodes, P Rigoberto Sanchez
Out: K Lucas Havrisik
Havrisik filled in for a healthy Gay on Thursday to get some extra reps, but Gay’s job is clearly secure as the fifth-most accurate field-goal kicker in league history (87.8 percent). Sanchez is fully healthy after suffering a torn Achilles last August, and Rhodes is still one of the premier long snappers in the NFL.
(Photo of Evan Hull, No. 26: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
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