Three hottest seats on the Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts kept things interesting in 2023, riding backup quarterback Gardner Minshew to a 9-8 record and just narrowly missing out on the playoffs after losing rookie QB Anthony Richardson four weeks into the year. The team should be right on the cusp of competing for a playoff spot again in 2024.

Here are three people in the Colts organization who are feeling the most heat:

Running back Trey Sermon

With 2023 leading rusher Zack Moss in Cincinnati and a healthy Jonathan Taylor expected to resume his role as Indy’s lead back, the team’s No. 2 running back spot is up for grabs. Behind Moss and Taylor, Sermon had the most carries (35) and rushing yards (160) of any other Colts RB in 2023, and he’s likely to get the first crack at winning the job.

However, the Colts have Tyler Goodson, Evan Hull and Zavier Scott all likely to compete for carries, and they’ll likely add another back in free agency. They checked in with AJ Dillon before he re-signed with the Green Bay Packers, they’ve been linked to Baltimore Ravens free agent J.K. Dobbins, and they’ve been interviewing several running backs in the 2024 draft class. Sermon has the No. 2 job for now, but he’ll have to battle to keep it during training camp.

Wide receiver Alec Pierce

Pierce began the 2023 season as the Colts’ No. 2 receiver behind Michael Pittman Jr., but he was passed up by midseason by rookie Josh Downs as the team’s second-best pass catcher. The Colts have Ashton Dulin, D.J. Montgomery and Juwann Winfree already on the roster, and they added Terrell Bynum and Tyrie Cleveland in free agency. 

They’ve also been scouting some of the draft’s top WRs including Texas’ Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy, and it’s likely they add another pass catcher in the first few rounds of next month’s draft. If that happens, Pierce’s time in Indy could be limited.

Tight end Mo Alie-Cox

With a near $6M cap hit, Alie-Cox is a strong candidate to be cut between now and the draft. Among tight ends, Alie-Cox ranked behind Kylen Granson and Will Mallory in receptions and yards, and he barely out-performed Drew Ogletree as the team’s third TE.

Alie-Cox hasn’t had more than 31 receptions or 394 yards in any of his six seasons in Indianapolis, and at this point in his career, he’s being passed up by younger, cheaper alternatives. It wouldn’t be surprising if Alie-Cox isn’t on the Colts roster when training camp begins.