News Colts Team Notes

[Indianapolis Colts]

What to make of Daniel Jones’s early success with the Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have been one of the best teams in the NFL to start the season, with free-agent signee Daniel Jones being one of the most surprising revelations so far in 2025.

Jones, who primarily spent the 2024 season as a backup with the Minnesota Vikings after getting released by the New York Giants, has been off to an incredible start, throwing for 816 yards and three touchdowns. He’s currently completing 71.6 percent of his passes, leads the league in EPA/play, and still poses enough of a rushing threat.

Entering the season, Jones was in a quarterback competition with former first-round pick Anthony Richardson, but things cleared up after the latter suffered an injury in the preseason, although Jones always seemed like the favorite to win the starting job.

So far, he’s proving that head coach Shane Steichen has made the right decision, as the Colts are one of six undefeated teams so far.

What can we take away from Jones’s early success, and what does that mean for Anthony Richardson going forward?

Through three games, Jones looks like a different quarterback. He’s been much more accurate downfield, albeit in a smaller sample size, and has been very efficient while limiting turnovers, which had been his biggest problem in New York.

Jonathan Taylor has been on a tear to start the season, which has made Jones’s life easier. But, he looks the part of a starting-level quarterback, and it would take unexpected circumstances for him to lose the job at this point.

As for Richardson, Colts general manager Chris Ballard made it clear before the season that the team had no interest in trading the former first-round pick. But, with Jones’s ascension, it feels like that could potentially change to give the 2023 No. 4 overall pick a fresh start.

Richardson has started only 15 games in his career, due to a series of injuries. A quarterback clearly in need of development entering the NFL, the Florida Gators product started only four games in his rookie year and struggled in his sophomore campaign over 11 starts, throwing 12 interceptions in that span.

It was clear that the Colts were going to bring in competition this offseason. And now that Jones has shone, it’s hard to envision a path for Richardson to start in Indianapolis. He could very well be expendable now, as there are teams that could look to tap into his potential and development.

Do you think the Colts should try to trade Richardson? What would a trade compensation package look like? Which teams might be interested? Weigh in below in the comment section.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...s-colts-daniel-jones-anthony-richardson-trade

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Speedy wideout and special teams returner good to go for Colts vs. Rams

The Indianapolis Colts announced one update to their injury report, as 2nd-year wideout Anthony Gould (illness) had his questionable designation removed on Saturday just ahead of Sunday’s road game against the L.A. Rams.

The former 2024 5th round pick of the Colts remains a blazing fast backup wideout, but has made the majority of his mark on special teams so far this season.

Appearing in all 3 games for Indianapolis, Gould has 3 punt returns for 4 total yards, as well as 6 kickoff returns, averaging 30.2 yards per kick return.

That being said with Colts top deep threat Alec Pierce (concussion) already ruled out for Sunday, having not passed the league’s concussion protocol, Gould could be poised for at least a limited situational role off the bench.

While fellow 2nd-year wideout AD Mitchell should draw the majority of the reps in relief of Pierce, it’s possible that both Gould and Ashton Dulin could be used as rotational wideout options as speedy downfield targets for starting quarterback Daniel Jones and the Colts passing game.

So far, right guard Matt Goncalves (toe), wide reciever Alec Pierce (concussion), and veteran cornerback Kenny Moore II (Achilles) have all been already ruled out.

Veteran defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (back/rest) still has a ‘questionable’ designation, but it would be highly surprising if he’s not available for Sunday’s game and in the starting lineup. The Colts are likely just trying to keep their longtime Pro Bowl defensive tackle fresher for the marathon that remains the NFL’s regular season.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...l-teams-returner-good-to-go-for-colts-vs-rams

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Colts elevate new potentially key veteran CB amid roster moves before Rams game

The Indianapolis Colts announced on Saturday that backup cornerback Mike Hilton and offensive guard Josh Sills have been elevated to the active roster ahead of Sunday’s road game against the Los Angeles Rams.

With veteran slot corner Kenny Moore II (Achilles) projected to be out a few weeks, the Colts signed veteran slot cornerback Mike Hilton, who previously played under their new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, when the pair was recently together with the Cincinnati Bengals (2021-24).

Hilton has said he could definitely play right away (if called upon) and “expects to play a good bit.”

The 31-year-old veteran cornerback had 73 tackles (50 solo), 5 passes defensed, an interception during 16 games (10 starts). In his 8-year NFL career, he has appeared in 123 games (56 starts) with both the Bengals (2021-24) and Pittsburgh Steelers (2017-20).

Meanwhile, Sills elevation was only logical after starting right guard Matt Goncalves has already been ruled out with a toe injury, having not practiced all week.

While 2nd-year offensive guard Dalton Tucker is expected to fill in relief of Goncalves within the Colts’ starting lineup at right guard, Sills was presumably added for extra interior depth.

With both the Colts and Philadelphia Eagles, Sills has appeared in 18 career game. He did not appear in a game for the Colts last season, but did appear in 17 games for Indianapolis back in the 2023 campaign.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/indian...veteran-cb-amid-roster-moves-before-rams-game

 

[Indianapolis Colts]

Multiple AD Mitchell Mishaps Loom Large in Loss to Rams

The Indianapolis Colts had just retaken the lead late in the form of an electric, 76-yard touchdown reception from Daniel Jones to AD Mitchell, except they didn’t. They actually turned the ball over, and it wasn’t anything the Los Angeles Rams defense did. Unfortunately for Colts fans, this is far too familiar a mishap.

AD Mitchell did the hard part, hauling in a contested grab on 3rd and 4, and then evading two nearby defenders as he tightroped the sideline for the rest of the way. As soon as he approached paydirt, however, is when focus was lost, and so was his first career touchdown.

Channeling his inner Jonathan Taylor versus the Denver Broncos in 2024, Mitchell lost control of the ball within a yard of the goal line and subsequently fumbled it out of the back of the end zone for a touchback. It’s up in the air whether or not he was celebrating too early or was merely trying to manage the out-of-bounds marker as he extended for the goal line, but regardless, Mitchell’s mishap negated six points as well as turned the ball over.

It was simply unacceptable, and Mitchell knows this. “I just lost focus…It was a play that can’t happen. Just unacceptable. I’ve got to be better for the organization,” Mitchell said to James Boyd of The Athletic following the loss. “Try to move forward, learn from the previous mistakes, and get better.”

Head coach Shane Steichen did make it a point of emphasis to hold onto the ball so that Jonathan Taylor’s mistake is never replicated. Alas, not even a full calendar year later has resulted in more of the same. Couple that with Mitchell’s well-documented acclimation to the pros, and it makes sense why, after finally breaking through with a big play on Sundays, the young wideout is taking it extra hard. However, props are also in order to Mitchell for not ducking the media, something other teams have already seen happen through the short season thus far.

“Letters and logos,” Mitchell revealed as the motto that Steichen emphasized regarding Taylor’s (and now Mitchell’s) mishap. “Holding the ball through the letters and logos. Finishing through the end zone.”

AD Mitchell’s rough performance unfortunately didn’t end there, either. Late in the fourth quarter, tied 20-20, just beyond the 2-minute warning, superstar running back Jonathan Taylor broke one deep for a 53-yard touchdown to take the lead. That potential game-sealer was wiped out with a holding penalty by Mitchell. His rough day will certainly be talked about the most; however, this was a team effort chock-full of mistakes. The Colts had a season-high 11 penalties charged for 88 yards lost, with miscues scattered throughout, made by nearly every player and coach. That’s not to absolve Mitchell of his shortcomings, but rather to show that this game was not solely lost because of one player’s performance.

Shane Steichen has spearheaded his tenure as the Colts’ head coach with an emphasis on accountability, and since that’s more or less been carried out by him and his staff thus far, the same can be expected for Mitchell’s playing time moving forward. Indy certainly doesn’t want to rush back Alec Pierce as he works back from a concussion he suffered in Week 3, but veteran wideout Ashton Dulin has more than proven over the years that he’s a reliable spot-starter when called upon. The people calling for Mitchell’s job are understandably emotional, but there’s simply no reason to give up on a guy when there’s enough depth to fill the void as he works through the kinks.

Source: https://www.stampedeblue.com/analys...mitchell-mishaps-loom-largest-in-loss-to-rams