Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (84) tosses a football Thursday, July 24, 2025, during training camp held at Grand Park in Westfield. Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Best Colts Player Ever Gives Wisdom to Tyler Warren

Originally posted on Indianapolis Colts on SI
By Drake Wally | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 12:43 PM ET

The Indianapolis Colts have had plenty of storylines unfold from 2025's training camp ahead of Thursday's preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens. One is the quarterback battle between Anthony Richardson Sr. and Daniel Jones; another involves rookie Justin Walley taking off as a starting corner.

A third is the 14th overall selection, tight end Tyler Warren, who is slowly taking over as one of Indianapolis' top playmakers. Warren's presence will boost nearly everything from the running game, given his blocking prowess, to the other weapons on the roster with how he can be a receiving threat.

While Warren hasn't taken an NFL snap yet, legendary names of the game have taken notice of the Penn State tight end's performance heading into the start of his professional career. One in particular is Indianapolis' greatest player, former quarterback Peyton Manning.

The Ring of Honor inductee and Hall of Famer gave Warren a signed jersey and provided words of wisdom and encouragement through a heartfelt video paying respect to the former Nittany Lion.

Messages from NFL legends to NFL rookies:
pic.twitter.com/TwFS1EX7Ny
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 5, 2025

Manning had this to say: 'It's not always easy competing in the NFL. But Colts fans stuck with me, and I know they'll be behind you every step of the way.

Warren was drafted to give Indianapolis a true starting tight end. Last season was brutal for the position, as Kylen Granson (Philadelphia Eagles), Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, and Will Mallory simply didn't cut it as pass-catchers.

Getting Warren into a Colts uniform immediately boosts not only the position but the offense as a whole.

Head coach Shane Steichen, offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, and tight end coach Tom Manning will be able to utilize Warren in several ways to pressure defenses and give the next starting quarterback a safe, easy target to hit.

While Warren has an incredible ceiling in the NFL, he's also just a rookie, meaning there will be some growing pains as he learns the ways of the league. Defenses are quicker, coverage is tighter, and dominance as a pass-catcher doesn't come as easy as it did in college.

Warren won't be the entire offense for the Colts like he was with the Nittany Lions, so it will be interesting how many targets he gets and what he does with his opportunities. As mentioned in previous articles, if Warren can haul in around 40-plus catches and turn that into 500-plus yards and four or five touchdowns, that's enough to make Indy happy.

Warren's rookie season will be critical to Indy's success. He's going to take over as a TE1 and allow Indianapolis to implement 11 personnel to give defenses more to deal with.

Now, the big question is: who will be throwing him passes once real football starts? Regardless, Warren is poised for a great start to his NFL career.

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This article first appeared on Indianapolis Colts on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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