With just over three months left before Week 1 of the regular season, the Indianapolis Colts’ 2025 roster is taking shape. However, there are still plenty of questions on both sides of the ball. If the Colts can’t answer these questions soon, their season may quickly go off the rails.
1. Quarterback
For an NFL team to have any real shot at success, they need to figure out the quarterback position. Unfortunately, Indianapolis has been in QB flux since Andrew Luck’s retirement in 2019. This year, the team is betting on an open competition between 2023 No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson and 2019 No. 6 overall pick Daniel Jones.
Neither Richardson nor Jones is a perfect option, but both have flashed serious potential throughout their careers. The trajectory of the Colts’ future — both in 2025 and beyond — hinges on whether Richardson or Jones can prove to be a capable full-time starter.
2. Right Guard
After Will Fries’ departure in free agency, Indianapolis has a gaping hole at right guard. The favorite to fill the spot appears to be second-year pro Matt Goncalves. While Goncalves played virtually all of his collegiate career and rookie NFL season as a swing tackle, offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr. believes that he can make the transition to the interior.
Despite Sparano’s confidence, Goncalves’ inexperience playing guard is a risk, leaving the door open for other contenders. In 2024, Dalton Tucker racked up seven starts in Fries’ injury-induced absence. However, his performance was subpar and he was ultimately replaced. A pair of veteran guards — Josh Sills and Danny Pinter — could also be in the rotation.
None of these potential starters is all that convincing, but the Colts opted not to draft a guard in April, so they must believe their solution is already on the roster.
3. Cornerback
The cornerback position has been an area of concern in Indianapolis for a long time. To address that problem, the Colts signed Charvarius Ward this offseason to be their new No. 1 corner. With the veteran Kenny Moore covering the slot, all that remains to be seen is who starts on the outside opposite Ward.
Last year, Jaylon Jones, Samuel Womack, and JuJu Brents all handled starting cornerback duties at some point in the season, with varying degrees of success. In addition to that trio, 2025 third-round pick Justin Walley will also be in the mix. New Indianapolis defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo runs multiple coverage schemes, so he may end up rotating between these four options, depending on the situation.
4. Defensive End
The Colts lacked a consistent pass rush last season, and that was before one of their starting defensive ends Dayo Odeyingbo left in free agency. While Anarumo will be more aggressive and call more blitzes than his predecessor, Indianapolis still needs the right personnel to execute Anarumo’s plays.
The team’s reigning sack-leader Kwity Paye and 2024 first-rounder Laiatu Latu are both strong candidates for the starting spots. However, the pair will have to compete with Samson Ebukam, who is returning from a season-long absence due to injury after leading the Colts in sacks in 2023. Indianapolis also added the highly-touted JT Tuimoloau in the second round of the draft, while seven-year veteran Tyquan Lewis rounds out a surprisingly deep five-man group.