The Indianapolis Colts have completely revamped their defense, and nothing emphasizes that more than comparing last season's initial 53-man roster with this season's initial 53-man roster. While there are only six new players on the offense this season, there are 15 new players on the defense.
Offensively, there are no new additions at quarterback or tight end. Indianapolis has one new running back behind Jonathan Taylor in rookie seventh-rounder Seth McGowan.
On the offensive line, there are two new additions - Jalen Farmer, a 2026 draft pick, and Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, whom the Colts acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills. Both players are considered depth pieces.
At wide receiver, they traded Michael Pittman away to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But there are three new additions - seasoned veteran Keenan Allen, seventh-round pick Deion Burks, and veteran Laquon Treadwell, who spent the beginning of the 2024 and 2025 seasons on the practice squad.
Defensively, the Colts have an entirely new linebacker room with the exception of Jaylon Carlies, who started last season on injured reserve (IR). Their other five linebackers - CJ Allen, Bryce Boettcher, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Austin Ajiake and Tahj Chambers - are all new to the initial 53-man roster.

#indianapolis

The final weekend of August is the cue for many to squeeze in a little late-summer fun. But for football fans, it's time for an early welcome to the fall gridiron action.
College football is back with a broad slate of Week 0 action across the country. Monmouth will help ring in the 2026 season with one of the most exciting matchups on Saturday. The No. 23 Hawks go on the road to face No. 15 Tennessee Tech in one of just two Division I matchups between ranked teams during the opening weekend of action.
The APP will have live updates and ******* ysis of the Monmouth season opener as it unfolds. Stay tuned here for all the latest on the Hawks as they try to pull off a major road upset.
Quarterback13 Frankie Weaver (6-5, 215, R-Fr.)Running Back3 Elijah Jennings (5-9, 180, R-So.)6 Kenny Smith Jr. (5-10, 190, R-Fr.)28 ******* r Treadwell (6-1, 225, R-So.)Wide Receiver0 Gavin Nelson (6-0, 180, R-Sr.)7 Tra Neal (6-1, 180, R-Jr.)14 Christian Harrison (6-0, 195, Jr.)Tight End88 Marcus Middleton (6-3, 235, R-Jr.)84 Shane Garrett (6-4, 240, R-Jr.)Left Tackle73 Matt Fries (6-5, 295, R-Sr.)71 Moses Gakodi (6-5, 315, R-So.)Left Guard61 Collin Goetter (6-4, 295, R-So.)75 Bleek Turner (6-4, 305, R-Fr.)Center65 Kevin Shriner (6-1, 300, R-Sr.)79 Alec Grijalva (6-4, 305, R-Sr.)Right Guard74 Michael Petito (6-2, 325, R-Jr.) OR70 Reed Collins (6-5, 310, Gr.)Right Tackle77 Josh Duran (6-6, 305, R-Jr.) OR60 Brady O'Hara (6-7, 300, R-Fr.)Defensive End4 Hunter Watson (6-5, 260, R-So.)Defensive Tackle8 JJ Lewis (6-3, 280, Sr.)90 Brendan Bigos (6-4, 280, R-Sr.)92 Bryce Rooks (6-0, 295, R-Sr.)Defensive End52 Mounir Keshen (6-2, 245, So.)Linebacker27 Spencer Kishbaugh (6-3, 225, R-Jr.)5 Charlie Sasso (6-0, 230, R-Sr.)1 Ryan Russo (6-2, 230, R-Sr.)Star20 Hasson Manning Jr. (5-11, 190, Sr.)Safety2 Jaeden Jones (6-0, 200, Jr.)26 Donovan Fey (6-2, 205, R-Jr.)Cornerback22 Christian Palmer Jr. (6-1, 185, So.)24 Zac Ricci (5-11, 175, R-Jr.)
Game: No. 23/22 Monmouth vs. No. 15/14 Tennessee Tech

#Tech #christian #right #weekend

WESTFIELD — Keenan Allen has always worn No. 13.
Allen made the number famous with the Chargers, wearing it in both San Diego and Los Angeles, and when he went to Chicago in 2024, the No. 13 was waiting for him.
Veteran wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, who is battling for a roster spot right now, has No. 13 in Indianapolis.
But it doesn't sound like Allen is quite ready to give up on the idea of wearing the No. 13 with the Colts.
"I just talked to Laquon about it," Allen said on Wednesday. "We're just going to play it by ear. He's a vet, too, so I definitely don't want to come in stepping on toes."

#wearing #keenan #diego

Another veteran receiver who had been available for months in free agency has found a new home.
Via Jordan Schultz, Keenan Allen has agreed to terms with the Colts. It's reportedly a one-year deal worth up to $8.32 million.
A third-round pick in 2013, Allen has played for the Chargers for 11 years, the Bears for one year, and the Chargers again in 2025. He has 1,055 career regular-season catches for 12,051 yards and 70 touchdowns.
Allen finished second in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, and he has made it to the Pro Bowl six times — most recently in 2023.
He joins a depth chart that includes Alec Pierce (who remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list with an ankle injury), Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Anthony Gould, and Laquon Treadwell.

#chargers #keenan #offensive #rookie

The Colts are expected to sign longtime Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen, a source confirmed to IndyStar. It adds a six-time Pro Bowler who in eight of his 13 seasons in the NFL has caught at least six touchdowns and at least 80 ***** seven times – including last year.
Allen lands in Indianapolis after a one-season return to Los Angeles in 2025 to rejoin the franchise that drafted him 76th overall in 2013 and where he spent the first 11 seasons of his career – and 12 of 13 overall. Allen was traded to the Chicago Bears in March of 2024 and played a single season with the NFC North team before opting to sign with the Chargers just over a year ago during Los Angeles' training camp as a free agent.
That one-year deal made the 34-year-old again a free agent this spring, and he remains unquestionably the top free agent wideout on the market – not to mention seemingly a premier fit in head coach Shane Steichen's offense.
For a coach who prizes separation at the top of routes and a trusted pair of hands above just about anything else, Allen still fits the bill as he nears the end of his career. Though he's been one nearly his entire career, the Colts don't need Allen to be a No. 1 receiver with unquestioned WR1 Alec Pierce ascending to a more all-around this role this year coming off a season where then-rookie tight end Tyler Warren led the Colts in targets (112) and two seasons ago when starting slot receiver Josh Downs led the team in receptions (72).
But after the loss of Michael Pittman Jr. in March to a salary-dump trade to the Steelers, it was widely-believed the Colts had not done enough to replace not only his production – 80 catches for 784 yards and seven touchdowns – but his veteran leadership and presence in a room where the oldest players – free agent signee Nick Westbrooke-Ikhine (29 years old), Ashton Dulin (29) and Laquon Treadwell (31) had been fighting in training camp for the Nos. 3 and 4 WR spots in the Colts offense.

#free #receiver #seasons

Following a Thursday night preseason opener tie, the Indianapolis Colts were back in action indoors during otherwise a soggy late Saturday afternoon—for what was a rather uneventful training camp practice, with the team primarily focusing on end zone work.
I was actually able to attend this one as a credentialed member of the media, so I'll change the format up a bit:
For another training camp practice, it looked like the Colts secondary got the better of the Indianapolis wide receivers, especially with Alec Pierce still out (who we'll get to in a bit here). That seems to have been a common theme so far this training camp, and when the trio of Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward, and Justin Walley are all fully healthy, the Colts project to have one of the best cornerback rooms atop their depth chart in the entire league.
In particular, starting cornerback Justin Walley, who was playing on the outside in place of Ward in this one, had at least a few deflections of note. Oftentimes, Jones was forced to hold the football in the passing pocket until a Colts receiver could finally free up from tight coverage. That may not happen in a real game, where the pass rush will get to him a lot quicker and not let up, likely seeing more 'coverage sacks.'
That being said, while the Colts secondary did stifle Jones for much of the afternoon, he connected on at least a few touchdowns passes in 11-on-11 red zone work, including to Josh Downs, who came up gingerly after the acrobatic touchdown catch but was able to walk off the field and be attended to by trainers. Downs did later return to practice. Ashton Dulin, Seth McGowan, Laquon Treadwell, and Tyler Warren, who also had an acrobatic dandy, caught the other touchdown receptions from Jones on the afternoon from what I saw.

#ward #justin

Indianapolis Colts' second-year cornerback Justin Walley was one of the standout performers in the team's training camp practice on Saturday.
This was a shorter practice, only about an hour long, and the focus was on the red zone. There, Walley forced two pass breakups, according to the Indy Star's Joel Erickson.
On one play, Walley "went up high," Erickson wrote, while covering Laquon Treadwell. On the other pass breakup, which also came when defending Treadwell, Walley blanketed the initial route before he "cut off" Treadwell as he altered his route.
Walley will be the Colts' starting nickel cornerback, with Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward outside. However, Walley has taken some outside snaps as well during training camp, giving the Colts another option at that position if an injury occurs.
Walley impressed early on last summer, but unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Since returning to the practice field in the spring, however, he has hit the ground running, seemingly picking up where he left off.

#colts #erickson #training

With the weather forcing the team to move Saturday's training camp practice indoors, the Indianapolis Colts held a tight hour-long session at Droplight Grand Park Sports Campus focused primarily inside the red zone.
Starting quarterback Daniel Jones showcased his ability to recognize a different mix of coverages and deliver strong throws in closed ******* e. Jones noticed the defense sitting underneath Cover 2 and split the coverage with a dart to tight end Tyler Warren on a wheel route for a 20-yard touchdown.
Jones later added some nice touch to toss a dime toward the far pylon for receiver Josh Downs, who made a leaping grab over cornerback Justin Walley for a 10-yard touchdown catch. Downs came down hard to make the sensational catch and briefly left the field to jog off some tightness in his right hamstring, but he later returned for the final team period and caught a short hitch on his first play back on the field.
Jones was able to create plays while rolling out in ******* e, too. Jones faked the play action, rolled right, released the throw while on the move and placed it just behind receiver Laquon Treadwell, who adjusted to the pass thrown near his hip and held on for a 10-yard touchdown in tight coverage. Jones finished the practice completing 7-of-14 passes, with a few incompletions on plays where he willingly decided it was best to throw the ball away rather than force a pass. The lone mistake nearly resulted in a turnover when rookie linebacker Bryce Boettcher got a hand on one of Jones' throws for what could have been a error near the goal line. Jones stationoed himself in the pocket and allowed the plays to develop, evidenced best on his final throw that was caught by Ashton Dulin in the end zone.
The second-string quarterback competition kept reps split between Anthony Richardson Sr. and Riley Leonard as both passers had just five completions during the short practice. Richardson delivered a frozen rope on a comeback route to tight end Will Mallory toward the far pylon for a 10-yard touchdown, then he later connected with receiver Raylen Sharpe on a slant and a corner route in the final team drill. Leonard also found the end zone playing on a short field, connecting with Sharpe on a quick out and rookie Deion Burks on a drag route.

#jones #touchdown #team

WESTFIELD — Justin Walley remains the unknown in the Colts' trio of starting cornerbacks.
Sauce Gardner has two All-Pro nods to his name. Charvarius Ward has the accolades and played in Super Bowls.
Walley is still waiting to play his first snap in an NFL game but he's already so important to the Colts that Indianapolis held him out of Thursday night's preseason game against the Patriots, two days after the young cornerback played a heavy complement of snaps in a joint practice with New England.
When Walley got back into the lineup for Saturday's short practice at Grand Park, he showed why the Colts are so high on him. Walley broke up two passes in the end zone, making an impact in a practice that was entirely geared toward the red-zone passing game. On one, Walley went up high to deny veteran receiver Laquon Treadwell; the other came on a play where Walley covered Treadwell's initial route, then cut off the veteran receiver coming back to knock it away.
How the Colts use Walley will likely depend on the health of Ward, who suffered a back injury last week and did not travel with the team to New England. If Ward — or any of the Colts' top trio, for that matter — is forced to miss time, the next player up will likely be former Bengals cornerback Cameron Taylor-Britt, and the Colts could use Walley or Taylor-Britt in the slot. From the looks of it, Walley got some work on the outside in Saturday's practice.

#back #trio

The Indianapolis Colts don't have the NFL's most formidable wide receiver corps.
The Colts traded Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason and signed Alec Pierce to a lucrative contract extension. The rest of the expected regulars include Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Laquon Treadwell, and draft pick Deion Burks.
Downs (58) and Pierce (47) combined for 105 catches in the 2025 season, and the rest 18 (including Westbrook-Ikhine's 11 for Miami).
Should the Colts trade for a speedy receiver? ESPN's Seth Walder believes the Buffalo Bills' Keon Coleman would fit in Indianapolis and ease an awkward situation in Buffalo. It's one of his five preseason trade proposals.
Coleman, the first pick in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, has 67 receptions and eight touchdowns in two seasons. In January, Bills owner Terry Pegula criticized the previous coaching staff for pushing the front office to pick Coleman, who remains on the Buffalo roster.

#colts #pierce

Entering the second week of training camp practices, the Indianapolis Colts are still without wide receiver Alec Pierce.
Pierce is still rehabbing from offseason ankle surgery. Shane Steichen didn't have any specifics about when Pierce could return but did say that he is progressing.
"I know that he's working," Steichen said. "He's heading in the right direction, for sure. So I feel really good about that moving forward."
Prior to training camp start, GM Chris Ballard said that Pierce was "close" and could be back on the field in a week or two.
Without Pierce in the lineup, Ashton Dulin and Laquon Treadwell have taken the bulk of the outside wide receiver reps with the starters. The two, along with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, are competing for the WR3 role.

#still #entering

Following the Indianapolis Colts' first training camp practice, there were some noteworthy lineup observations made by the Indy Star's Joel Erickson in a post-practice report.
With Alec Pierce sidelined, starting at wide receiver next to Josh Downs were Ashton Dulin and Laquon Treadwell. With the third starting wide receiver role on the roster up for grabs, Dulin and Treadwell appear to be the early favorites to fill that role.
Dulin, in particular, is coming off a strong showing during offseason programs. Along with Treadwell being in the mix for snaps on offense, his ability to contribute to a few different special teams phases helps his case to make a roster push.
Then at linebacker, with CJ Allen on the PUP list, Erickson notes that Bryce Boettcher and Akeem Davis-Gaither were the two starters. This doesn't come as a big surprise, considering that both saw snaps with the ones during offseason programs. These two may end up battling for the starting spot next to Allen.
Lastly, it wasn't AJ Haulcy starting next to Cam Bynum, but it was Hunter Wohler who got those reps. Haulcy impressed during offseason programs, but Wohler's versatility adds an intriguing dynamic to that position group.

#dulin #treadwell #erickson #haulcy

Every player wants to hit the ground running and start the new season fast once training camp begins. But for which Indianapolis Colts players is this a must?
The reasons a strong training camp showing is vital can vary from player to player, but all three of these offensive players require a quick start once practices begin.
Treadwell finds himself in the mix for the starting WR3 role, competing with Ashton Dulin and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. But even if Treadwell doesn't secure that job, he is still positioned to make a run at earning a spot on the 53-man roster.
Up to this point in his Colts' tenure, Treadwell has spent his share of time on the practice squad. But with the wide receiver depth taking a hit this offseason, his experience -- both in the NFL and in Shane Steichen's offense -- could be quite valuable. The Colts could also utilize more of a rotation at that WR3 spot, with matchups and in-game situations dictating who is on the field, which could provide Treadwell with another opportunity to earn playing time.
He's also shown he can contribute to multiple special teams phases as well, which will factor into the equation as Steichen and Chris Ballard construct the final roster.

#roster

With training camp near, ESPN's Stephen Holder put together his pre-training camp 53-man roster prediction, and absent from it were two offseason additions made by Indianapolis Colts' GM Chris Ballard.
At the wide receiver position, Holder had the Colts keeping six players, but not included was seventh-round pick Deion Burks. Instead, Holder had Indianapolis keeping Laquon Treadwell.
Burks brings impressive speed to the offense, and although listed at 5-10, 180 pounds, the Colts view him as a player who can line up both in the slot and outside. He could double as a return man as well.
That said, from the jump, Treadwell, with his experience in the NFL and in Shane Steichen's offense, can potentially make a greater impact early on. He can also contribute to more special teams phases.
But releasing Burks comes with an obvious risk; there's no guarantee that he makes it back to the practice squad. Another team could swoop in and claim him.

#colts #training #offense

Training camp for the Indianapolis Colts kicks off in about a month, so as part of our preview of what's to come, we will be evaluating each positional battle that is expected to unfold.
What took place during offseason programs laid the foundation for each of these competitions and provided us with some insights into where things may stand. That said, how training camp and the preseason unfold will ultimately determine who wins these roles.
Next up is the wide receiver position.
With Michael Pittman in Pittsburgh, a starting spot alongside of Alec Pierce and Josh Downs is up for grabs. In the mix for that playing time are Ashton Dulin, Laquon Treadwell, Deion Burks, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.
The consensus seems to be that Dulin is the front-runner for this role.

Between now and training camp, we will be going through the Indianapolis Colts' full 90-man roster, previewing each player.
Up next is wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, who wears No. 13.
Height: 6-2
Weight: 215
Age: 31