Colts rookie TE records a career first in blowout Week 5 win

The Penn State alum was the 14th overall pick in the 2025 draft and the second tight end taken in the draft behind Chicago Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland. Warren has been quietly putting together a solid season for a rookie tight end, recording 19 receptions for 263 yards ahead of Week 5. Loveland, who has been out due to a hip injury, has just three receptions for 43 yards and no touchdowns so far this season. 

On the ground, Warren has also proven to be a threat in short-yardage goal-line situations; it's how he got his first career touchdown after all. In Week 4, Colts head coach Shane Steichen elected to line Warren up as a fullback on 4th-and-1 in the red zone and give it to the rookie.

Steichen's choice paid off with Warren running hard to get into the end zone for the lead. While the Colts lost to the Los Angeles Rams 27-20, the team didn't lose a beat against the Raiders on Sunday.

Colts' dominant Week 5 performance bodes well for Warren's career

Before Week 5, the Colts had the fifth-most passing yards (1,078) and the ninth-most rushing yards (545) in the league. Jones has raised MVP chatter with his play, recording the third-most yards among quarterbacks (1,078) with a 71.9% completion rate.

In the Colts' 40-6 beatdown of the Raiders, Jones had another huge game, going 20-for-29 and passing for 212 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jonathan Taylor had 17 carries for 66 yards and pulled off a hat trick with three rushing touchdowns. Warren ended his Week 5 performance with 44 yards on four receptions. 

This week showed that Warren is in one of the better positions a rookie pass catcher can ask for — a quarterback on a hot streak and an offense firing on all cylinders. If Warren can continue to grow and become a go-to option for Jones and the Colts offense in the red zone, Indianapolis will continue to be the surprise team of the season.