Colts Supporting Cast Gives Optimism for Success

The Indianapolis Colts are coming off a rough 8-9 finish, which gives Shane Steichen a boring 17-17 record heading into his third campaign leading the Colts. This offseason, the monumental story that will dominate Indy headlines involves the quarterback competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones.

While there's good reason for that position battle to take over offseason analysis, discussing the weapons that will surround the next Colts starting QB is something worth mentioning.

For the wide receivers, it's a talented room featuring Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, and Adonai Mitchell. As for tight end, it's all about the 14th overall selection Tyler Warren to command the position after a pitfall from the group in 2024. Lastly, but certainly not least, is two-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor.

Pro Football Focus believes that the offensive weapons Indy has on their roster is a big reason for optimism for the 2025 campaign.

"Whoever starts at quarterback for the Colts this season certainly won’t have a shortage of weaponry with which to work. Star running back Jonathan Taylor is coming off a 1,400-yard season. Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs and Alec Pierce are all capable options at wide receiver. The team also may have found the solution to its tight end problem in first-round pick Tyler Warren, who led the Power Four last year in a plethora of receiving categories."

The Colts have the pieces in place for a stellar 2025 season for their offense, but a lot of that potential success will depend on how the quarterback position pans out. Regardless, this group might be one of the most overlooked in the league.

Starting with Pittman, he sustained a fractured lower back and had a 'down' season with 69 catches for a team-leading 808 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Pittman will press to return to form after logging the second-fewest catches of his five-year career after hauling in 109 in 2023.

Downs was reliable again during his sophomore season despite playing with two different QBs. Downs led the squad in catches with 72 despite missing three games, improving upon a solid rookie year where he secured 68 passes. Expect Downs to continue ascending as a true safety blanket in Steichen's offense.

Pierce erupted after the Colts drafted Mitchell to compete with him. Pierce caught only 37 passes but made the most as one of the deadliest deep threats in the game, tallying 824 receiving yards and seven scores. What stands out most is his league-leading 22.3 yards per reception. He also established 32 first downs, accounting for 86.5 percent of his catches.

As for Warren, he hasn't played a down in the NFL, but his utility-type skill set and abilities will factor in perfectly with Steichen's ideas. Last year, Indianapolis had nothing from their tight ends from a receiving standpoint, limiting the offense's capabilities; this will change with Warren, who assumingly slots in as the starting tight end immediately.

Lastly, Taylor needs no introduction. The former Wisconsin Badgers playmaker looked fantastic last year while shouldering a massive workload. Taylor accumulated 1,431 rushing yards on 303 attempts and scored 12 touchdowns (11 rushing). Taylor is the heartbeat of the offense and will continue to be in 2025.

When it's all said and done, this unit looks like a potent attack that will press defenses and challenge opposing coordinators. Steichen needs the best out of these five if the Colts want to potentially take the AFC South and finally secure a playoff spot.

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