Colts are hoping the tight ends will open up Indy’s passing game

The Indianapolis Colts are making it clear that their passing offense will be based around their emerging group of tight ends.

All offseason, the Indianapolis Colts have been told to add wide receivers. However, the team wasn’t really taking the suggestions from outside the building.

Indianapolis did take wide receiver Alec Pierce with its first-overall selection in the 2022 Draft, and though he’s expected to be good, that didn’t satisfy the fans and media members that feel the Colts need even more wide receiver help.

There are still pleas for Indianapolis to sign Julio Jones or TY Hilton to finalize the wide receiver room. While one of those signings could happen, Indy has made clear that they aren’t pressing to add receivers.

Why is that? The Colts clearly struggled in the passing game last season, so why haven’t they been desperate to add wide receivers?

Observing what Indy has said and did, it seems that the team hasn’t been urgent about adding receivers because the plan is for the tight ends to be the focus of the passing offense.

Colts will rely on a tight end-heavy offense

Although Indianapolis selected a wide receiver with its first pick in the Draft, it was the tight end position that Indy double-dipped at.

The Colts took Jelani Woods in the third round and came back in the sixth to select Andrew Ogletree. This is on top of re-signing Mo Alie-Cox this offseason and drafting Kylen Granson last year.

Speaking of the crowded tight end room, head coach Frank Reich gave some insight into the team’s decision making:

"As you know, the offense really wants to be tight end-centric in some way. A lot of playmaking goes on in the middle of the field. You get unique matchups, there’s a lot of things you can do formationally, there’s a lot of things you can do when you put multiple tight ends on the field at the same time."

This shows that the Colts have resisted the urge of bringing in receivers because the sauce of the offense will be between the numbers.

Obviously, Jonathan Taylor and the run game will still be the primary identity of Indy’s offense, but the passing game that Reich is setting up around Taylor will also dominate the middle of the field.

The Colts have Alec Pierce, Michael Pittman Jr., and Parris Campbell who they’re hoping can make plays down the field and on the outside for them. Indy doesn’t feel the pressure to add to that group because the tight ends are the inspiration for the design of the passing offense.

Predicting the final standings for the AFC South

With the NFL schedule released, let’s look at where the Indianapolis Colts will finish in the division with the rest of the AFC South.