Colts RB Jonathan Taylor responded -- via Twitter -- to reports Indianapolis is considering the non-football injury list after he reported back pain upon arriving to training camp. Taylor said: "1.) Never had a back pain. 2.) Never reported back pain. Not sure who 'sources' are, but find new ones." It sure seems like we're building toward Taylor not playing for the Colts again. We'll keep watching this saga.
The Colts are "considering" placing RB Jonathan Taylor on the non-football injury list, according to insider Mike Chappell. Taylor is currently on the PUP list. Chappell reports that Taylor suffered "some type of back injury while working out on [his] own in Arizona," which would presumably allow the Colts to move him to the non-football-injury list. The drama between these two sides is far from over. We'll keep you updated. We recently moved Taylor down the RB rankings.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Colts RB Jonathan Taylor has requested a trade following a meeting with team owner Jim Irsay on Saturday. For context, Irsay took to social media on Wednesday to comment on the current landscape of the RB market. He shared in a tweet that the current collective bargaining agreement "took years of effort and hard work and compromise in good faith by both sides," calling the attempts by RBs to negotiate for higher pay "inappropriate" and referring to actions by their agents as "selling 'bad faith.'" It's not difficult to see how this situation unfolded from there. Taylor is coming off a year in which he only appeared in 11 games due to an ankle injury that required surgery. He still had a pretty strong season, logging a 192-861-4 rushing line behind a Colts offensive line that ranked 22nd in Football Outsiders' Adjusted Line Yards. A potential trade would send shockwaves through both the NFL and fantasy football landscape wherever Taylor ultimately lands. For now, we're operating under the assumption he'll be in Indianapolis to open 2023. See where he sits in our current RB rankings.
The Colts have been giving first-team reps to TE Drew Ogletree in early practices -- along with second-year TE Jelani Woods. The latter we expected to climb in offensive prominence this season. Ogletree also arrived in last year's draft (Round 6) after a quiet college career that saw him total 82 catches across three years at Division II Findlay and then one at FCS Youngstown State. Ogletree generated some mild buzz in last year's training camp but suffered an August knee injury that landed him on IR. Expect Woods to remain the clear leader among Colts in our TE rankings, but the playing-time distribution will be worth watching throughout the summer.
Colts owner Jim Irsay told ESPN's Stephen Holder on Thursday that the team hasn't offered RB Jonathan Taylor a contract extension. That helps explain Taylor's frustration with the team -- and why he hasn't participated in training camp yet. “We love Jonathan, we need Jonathan," Irsay said. "Our hope is Jonathan has an outstanding year and that we have a good year as a team and then we get his next contract done. That's the hope. We think the world of him as a person, as a player. It's just timing. When your time comes to get paid, then you get paid.” We'll continue to keep a close eye on the situation. For now, we're not projecting Taylor to sit out regular-season games.
Colts GM Chris Ballard suggested Tuesday that RB Jonathan Taylor landing on the PUP list has more to do with contract negotiations than his ankle. Ballard said he and Taylor were scheduled to have a "long conversation" on Tuesday. “Like I’ve always told you, you pay good players, you pay players that are going to help you win, regardless of the position,” Ballard added. It's worth noting that owner Jim Irsay said Taylor was "healed up" a few weeks ago. We'll continue to keep a close eye on Taylor -- both his health and contract situation. For now, we're not moving him in the RB Rankings.
The Colts plan to ease WR Michael Pittman into training camp after his offseason hip injury, according to the Indianapolis Star's Nate Atkins. "Pittman said he's completely over it, but they just want to be cautious bringing him back into the fold," Atkins writes. This doesn't sound like a concern, although missed reps aren't ideal as Pittman settles into a new offense with a new QB.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor has been placed on the PUP list ahead of training camp. The former All-Pro back missed the last three games of 2022 with an ankle injury that required offseason surgery. We'll keep an eye on how quickly he'll be able to return to the practice field and ramp up action.
We knew WR Alec Pierce brought downfield speed when the Colts drafted him in Round 2 last April. His 12.2-yard average depth of target led the team in his rookie campaign. Pierce's 16.8-yard college aDOT says that number could rise even higher. And new QB Anthony Richardson specialized in deep passing as a collegian. According to Pro Football Focus, Richardson ranked 25th among 148 qualifying FBS QBs last year in total deep attempts (20+ yards downfield), 20th in deep-passing grade and 16th in deep-passing yards. We'll see about the pass-run split between the strong-running rookie QB and the new coaching staff. But Pierce is a low-risk option in best ball drafts at his later-round ADP. Read more about him and see where he sits in our 2023 fantasy football rankings.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle) is "healed up," owner Jim Irsay said Monday on The Pat McAfee Show. Taylor underwent right-ankle surgery early in the offseason to address a lingering issue. He missed offseason workouts, but it sounds like he'll be ready to roll come training camp. We'll keep an eye on Taylor throughout the summer, but that ankle shouldn't impact his 2023 fantasy value.
Colts rookie QB Anthony Richardson has already cracked the top 12 QBs in Underdog Fantasy ADP. Drafters are obviously chasing his rushing upside, and he'll need big ground production to deliver for fantasy. There have been seven rookie-QB seasons in NFL history that would have ranked among last year's top 12 QB scores. That group had a median of 34.0 rushing yards per game (578 yards over a 17-game season) and a median of 234.8 passing yards per game. All seven of those rookie QBs averaged at least 213.3 passing yards per game. That would obviously be an easier level for Richardson to reach right away. And he's capable of smashing that 34-yard rushing benchmark. Justin Fields, Lamar Jackson, and Jalen Hurts all exceeded 50 rushing yards per game in 2022. Colts owner Jim Irsay recently reiterated that the team won't be scared to play Richardson early. The rookie doesn't sit as high in our 2023 fantasy football rankings as he does in Underdog ADP. But he certainly has the upside to deliver QB1-level production. Read more about his upside (and downside) in our Richardson profile.
Colts owner Jim Irsay hinted on Monday that his team plans to get rookie QB Anthony Richardson on the field early. "We know it’s going to be tough. But he has to play to get better," Irsay said on the Pat McAfee Show. "There’s no question. Gardner [Minshew] could play better early on, him just being a veteran. But we have to get Anthony on the field." Irsay added that HC Shane Steichen will ultimately decide when Richardson takes over as the starter. But Steichen had a similar message back in April, saying, "the development of players comes with more experience." We just bumped Richardson's projection up to 14 games played -- and that might still be conservative. His rushing ability gives him obvious QB1 upside whenever he takes the field.
Colts beat writer Kevin Bowen considers WR Josh Downs “the ideal slot receiver complement.” While Michael Pittman will kick inside some, Downs’ path to playing in 3-WR sets (with Alec Pierce) looks clear. Bowen adds that the rookie showed a “strong early connection” with QB Anthony Richardson, with Downs “easily creating space in those short areas of the field.” Colts area scout Chad Henry shared the same sentiment. “He’s a playmaker,” Henry said of Downs. “We don’t have a whole lot of guys like him. He’s sort of a human chain mover. Good luck covering him in a short area.” Downs missed part of the spring with a knee issue, but all indications suggest it’s minor. Depending on the play of Richardson, Downs could become a deep-league PPR spot starter. For now, though, he’s not someone to circle on your cheat sheet.
Colts WR Michael Pittman got plenty of target and reception volume last season. He finished 16th among WRs in target share and 10th in the league in receptions. But his yardage efficiency tumbled. Pittman's yards per catch fell from 12.3 in 2021 to 9.3, with poor QB play a (the?) primary culprit. His average depth of target fell by more than 2 yards, with QBs Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger and Nick Foles all ranking 28th or worse in Pro Football Focus passing grade. Pittman also produced his lowest mark yet, though, in yards after catch per reception. According to PFF, he tied for just 53rd in yards per route and ranked 44th in receiving grade, among 97 WRs with 40+ targets. Pittman did, at least, rank a decent 26th in targets per route, matching his 2021 ranking. Rookie QB Anthony Richardson should be good for Pittman's aDOT. But we'd bet on the WR coming down from last year's 70.2% catch rate. Overall, it's tough to bet on big upside for Pittman from his WR3-level ADP. Read more about the outlook for Indy's lead wideout and see where he lands in our 2023 fantasy football rankings.
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle) remained sidelined for Tuesday's minicamp practice. He continues to work his way back from January's right ankle surgery. Taylor said at the time of that surgery that he expected to be ready for the start of the season. And, at this point, there's no reason to think that won't be the case. We'll continue to keep you updated on his health.
Colts WR Alec Pierce admitted that he hit the rookie wall in 2022. “I don’t know if I necessarily felt it. But I think looking back on the film [late in the season], I did feel like I just wasn’t moving as good as I was early in the season.” While bad QB play factored in, Pierce mustered only nine catches for 82 yards over the final month. The second-year deep threat also noted an offseason area of emphasis. “I definitely needed to work more on my route-running at the top of routes, creating separation,” Pierce said. He projects as a full-time outside WR for new HC Shane Steichen, but we’re not expecting Indy to resemble a pass-happy offense. Pierce isn’t someone we’re looking to aggressively target in best ball leagues — even with an ADP past WR70.
Colts WR Josh Downs is missing this week's OTAs with what HC Shane Steichen called "a little bit of a knee issue." That obviously doesn't sound like anything significant, but the missed reps aren't ideal for the rookie. We'll let you know when Downs gets back on the field. If healthy, he has a good shot to win the Week 1 starting slot job. WR Isaiah McKenzie is Downs' primary competition for that spot.
Colts OC Jim Bob Cooter gave his early impressions of rookie QB Anthony Richardson. “I think he’s got a really good head on his shoulders. Kind of sees and understands what’s going on around him at a pretty high level,” Cooter said. “I’ve been really impressed with him just dealing with him in meeting rooms and different situations that we all encounter each other in. So (he) just has had a good way about him handling this stuff." Cooter believes Richardson’s experience at Florida will prepare him for life in Indianapolis. “Shoot, playing quarterback in the NFL, you’re usually going to have your ups and your downs. You’re usually going to have some criticism and some praise. I think that’s a really good trait to walk in the door with, the ability to handle what’s coming at you and have a good mindset about it, and I think Anthony’s done a nice job of that so far, at least in my eyes.” Richardson remains the favorite to start at least a majority of the games for Indy in 2023. Looking at fantasy PPG, he projects as a fringe top-15 QB.
The Colts selected RB Evan Hull in Round 5 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Hull is intriguing for 2 reasons. First, he's excellent in the passing game, racking up 88 receptions over the last 2 years at Northwestern. Second, he's a plus athlete, registering a 93rd percentile Relative Athletic Score, highlighted by a 4.47-second 40 time and elite 6.90-second 3-cone at 5'10, 209 pounds. Hull joins a Colts backfield controlled by RB Jonathan Taylor. But the rookie could at least push Zack Moss and Deon Jackson for the #2 spot on the depth chart.
Colts owner Jim Irsay told NFL.com's Judy Battista that QB Anthony Richardson will start games this season. It's fair to wonder how much knowledge or input Irsay actually has on this. As the team owner, he shouldn't really be involved with on-field decisions. And he certainly doesn't tend to hold back with his public comments. But QBs chosen early in Round 1 historically are likely to take over the starting job at some point in Year 1 -- most commonly before mid-season. Many evaluators think Richardson will need more development time than Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud. But there are others who believe he's much closer to ready. Indy signed QB Gardner Minshew for just $3.5 million on a one-year deal in free agency. That's light even for a backup at this point. So they clearly didn't sign Minshew intending to have him start for a year. We already have Richardson projected to start more than half his rookie season in our 2023 fantasy football QB rankings. And we'll be watching his offseason closely. His rushing ability makes the upside enormous.
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