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Coming off a disappointing season in 2024, the Indianapolis Colts endured arguably the roughest spring of any team in the league. While expectations are still reasonably high, the Colts' 2025 offseason roster is in a peculiar position coming out of minicamp.
From the tragic passing of beloved owner Jim Irsay to a concerning injury to quarterback Anthony Richardson, everything seems to have gone wrong for the Colts early on. The adversity could hardly have come at a worse moment, given the tension within the organization.
Ahead of their third season together, many fans are unhappy with Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen and are pushing for the two to be replaced. The frustration extended to Richardson, whom many already want the team to move on from. Before his sudden death, Irsay opted not to make any significant changes. Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson — Irsay's three daughters, who assumed ownership of the Colts — appear to fully back their father's judgment.
Even with Ballard and Steichen returning, the Colts still underwent notable changes in the 2025 offseason. Steichen fired defensive coordinator Gus Bradley and replaced him with former Cincinnati Bengals assistant Lou Anarumo. Ballard also declared that the team would give Richardson competition in 2025 before subsequently signing Daniel Jones in free agency.
The foundational changes will force Indianapolis to rebuild one way or another. The wide range of variables makes predicting the Colts' 2025 season path difficult, particularly with the unexpected turns the team's 2025 offseason roster took in minicamp.
Daniel Jones will take over for Anthony Richardson
No player has generated more buzz from the Colts' 2025 OTAs and minicamp than Daniel Jones. As Richardson nurses his shoulder injury, the former New York Giants quarterback has reportedly taken full command of the offense and impressed with his leadership and accuracy. Indianapolis signed Jones in free agency to push Richardson, but might have a legitimate and unexpected quarterback battle on its hands in training camp.
Jones never truly found his footing with the Giants, but he is a substantially better passer than Richardson. The incumbent starter completed just 47.7 percent of his passes in 2024, a historically poor success rate. Accuracy was an issue for Richardson all season long, as he threw just eight touchdowns to 12 interceptions.
Jones has been a popular target on social media for the better part of a decade, but there is no denying him as the better pocket passer between the two. His 64.1 completion rate is on par with the league average. Jones has never been a confident downfield passer, but Richardson's inability to consistently hit receivers in stride is not much of a threat in that department. Playing behind the Colts' elite offensive line will give Jones more time and confidence than he ever had behind the Giants' horrendous blocking unit.
Given the uncertainty surrounding Richardson's shoulder, there is a realistic scenario where he misses Game 1. Jones might not even need to beat him out in training camp if that is the case. But with the way he has looked in minicamp, Jones is already looking like the best quarterback on the Colts' 2025 offseason roster.
Even if Richardson begins the year as the starter, which he figures to do, he has arguably the worst job security in the league. The oft-injured signal-caller does not perform well on a tight leash, giving Jones countless opportunities to see the field in 2025. Amid the current trend of previously labeled “busts” reviving their careers with another team, Jones could be the next comeback story with the Colts in 2025.
Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu both record 10+ sacks
When the Colts let Dayo Odeyingbo walk in free agency, it was primarily due to their undivided belief in 2024 first-round pick Laiatu Latu. Indianapolis always intended to let Latu ease his way into the game, and he showed more than enough for the team to believe in his long-term potential in his limited opportunities as a rookie. Despite playing just over 50 percent of the defensive snaps, Latu ended the year third on the team with four sacks.
The Colts drafted another highly-rated edge-rusher in J.T. Tuimoloau in the 2025 NFL Draft, but Latu has their full support. Spring camps are never pass-rushing showcases, but Latu impressed in OTAs and minicamp with his work ethic and improved physique. Latu focused on “building upper body strength” and improving his football IQ early in the offseason, according to Kevin Bowen of 93.5/107.5 The Fan.
Latu's focus on the weight room stems from his admission that he was not physically prepared for a 17-game workload as a rookie. The results reflect his statement, as Latu notched all four of his sacks by Week 12 and failed to generate a single pressure during the remaining five weeks. The 24-year-old's awareness and dedication to improving on an identified weakness should only result in increased production in 2025.
If Latu makes a leap, it would only benefit Kwity Paye, who has been quiet but consistent in his four years with the team. Paye led the way with eight sacks in 2024, a slight decrease from his career-high 8.5 in 2023. Whenever on the field, Paye is as consistent as they come, but does his best work when he lines up across another formidable threat. Odeyingbo, who only managed three sacks in 2024, was not that.
Staying on the field has been Paye's biggest issue thus far. He has started all 58 games of his career but has yet to play a full season. Latu matching his level in 2025 would additionally aid him in that regard, as Anarumo loves mixing up his schemes and lining up pass-rushers in different spots.
Adonai Mitchell fully breaks out
Few players on the Colts' roster underwhelmed in 2024 more than Adonai Mitchell. Indianapolis added the former Texas star in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, hoping to give Richardson another dynamic weapon to work with. Instead, Mitchell managed just 23 catches for 312 receiving yards and failed to reach the end zone.
The production might not have been there, but Mitchell showed flashes of why the Colts were so high on him in the preseason. Mitchell went viral in Week 1 for torturing the Houston Texans' secondary, only for Richardson to miss him on several wide-open deep routes. The dynamic athlete had Richardson overthrow him on at least two would-be touchdowns, while getting missed on another potential big gain. As a result, he ended his first game with a pedestrian statline instead of bursting onto the scene and kickstarting his career.
AD Mitchell could have had the GREATEST rookie debut known to mankind.
But Anthony Richardson couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn 😳 pic.twitter.com/Gf30Hspsl2
— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) September 10, 2024
Mitchell led all receivers with 52 percent of his air yards being deemed uncatchable in 2024, per Fantasy Points Data. The Colts, along with their subsequent fan base, optimistically hope that his elite acceleration and explosion will be better utilized in 2025. Whether it is an improvement from Richardson or Jones taking over under center, Mitchell should have better balls thrown his way in year two.
Jones is no Pro Bowler, but he is a massive step up from one of the least accurate quarterbacks in NFL history. The Colts reportedly liked what they saw from Jones and Mitchell in minicamp and already believe he can potentially make a significant evolution in 2025.
Colts will have top-five passing defense
The Colts' defense has a lot of questions to answer in 2025, but the one position on the offseason roster with the most promise is their secondary. Indianapolis made several notable additions to the group, signing former All-Pro Charvarius Ward, veteran safety Camryn Bynum and drafting Justin Walley in the third round.
Ward, Bynum and Walley are all expected to be immediate contributors. Their inclusions add to a group returning Kenny Moore II, JuJu Brents, Jaylon Jones, Samuel Womack III, Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas II. The loaded group creates a logjam that will inevitably lead to a few surprising cuts in August, but it is already gelling early.
Nobody questions the impact Ward and Bynum will have on the group, but Walley has been the defensive back turning heads. Steichen singled out the rookie in one of the Colts' post-minicamp pressers, saying Walley has been “making plays” in minicamp while complimenting Ballard for making the selection. If the Minnesota alum ends up being the player he looks like early on, Indianapolis could have an elite one-two punch between Ward and Walley.
The most interesting aspect will be seeing how Anarumo uses the Colts' revamped secondary. The renowned defensive guru worked wonders with the Bengals' pass defense in his six-year stint with the team. Anarumo, who was a defensive backs coach from 2001 to 2018, is known for his creative scheming in the second and third levels.
Anarumo will have his biggest issues with the Colts' linebacking corps, which is struggling early in the 2025 offseason. Indianapolis lost starting linebacker E.J. Speed in free agency and failed to replace him. Injuries to Zaire Franklin and Jaylon Carlies have kept them out of OTAs and minicamp, further complicating the situation. Teams should have their most success running against this defense, which would only strengthen the Colts' pass defense numbers.
With an improved pass-rushing unit on paper, Indianapolis should be much tougher against opposing quarterbacks in 2025 than it was in 2024. Health permitting, adding Ward and Bynum to a young core of defensive backs who continue to improve should only make for a tantalizing defense to throw against.
2025 will be Shane Steichen's last season
Steichen entered the offseason on the hot seat, making him one of the handful of coaches who will begin the year in an already shaky situation. Given the pressure fans put on the team to fire Steichen at the end of the 2024 season, Steichen is one of the top candidates to be the first coach fired in 2025.
Ballard clearly likes Steichen, but the 2024 season went about as poorly as possible. Steichen's decision to bench Richardson for Joe Flacco was one of the most criticized coaching moves of the year. His ensuing move of re-inserting Richardson back into the starting lineup only made it look worse. Steichen frustrated fans with that move, but infuriated them when the Colts lost to the 2-13 Giants in Week 17 to essentially remove them from the playoff picture.
With the way the Colts ended 2024, fans are already fed up with Steichen. Ballard's refusal to fire him has only strained his own relationship with the community. Ballard has been with the team for a while, but the improbable change in ownership has to give him a sense of urgency. If Steichen does not impress early, he could return to the job market sooner than desired.
Indianapolis is already in an awkward position, but many factors could make Steichen's unenviable arrangement even worse. There is a high chance the Colts' quarterback underwhelms in 2025, whether it is Richardson or Jones. Once that happens, Steichen will receive most of the blame no matter how the situation unfolds. If any one of the team's many young pieces fails to reach expectations, he will also take the brunt of the criticism. Nothing is in his favor, and Steichen does not seem able to climb out of the hole he put himself in.
