The Indianapolis Colts wanted to get younger and more athletic this offseason, and part of that meant trading linebacker Zaire Franklin or re-signing safety Nick Cross in free agency. To replace those players, Indy took linebacker CJ Allen in the second round and safety AJ Haulcy in the third round.
Entering Week 1 of the season, in which Indy will take on the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Colts might not be starting Allen or Haulcy. In fact, no rookie might play a starting role.
The positive part is that one game does not make a career, and Allen, Haulcy, and the rest of the first-year class have loads of time to get better and have a long-term positive impact on the team. In terms of Haulcy, though, when that impact might come isn't totally known. He is dealing with an ankle injury.
Rookie safety AJ Haulcy's status for the Indianapolis Colts is uncertain
As with Allen, who missed substantial time in training camp and the preseason due to two different injuries, Haulcy didn't practice on Wednesday or the week before. Even a high-end rookie needs reps to get used to the speed and power of professional football. Haulcy had a good camp until he was hurt, but a lack of reps directly before the season could be detrimental to his growth.
If Indianapolis were taking on a different kind of quarterback, AJ Haulcy's lack of 100 percent health might not be such an issue, but when he is at his best, he has quickness and speed. Those two traits will be an absolute must as the Colts try to stymie quarterback Lamar Jackson. Haulcy at 80 percent likely isn't good enough.
In his pre-season press conference on Tuesday, general manager Chris Ballard said that Haulcy was "progressing well" in terms of his injury, but that Ballard didn't know yet when the rookie would return. That might happen this week, though the implication is more likely to be next week.
Should Haulcy not be able to play, let alone start, Hunter Wohler would play next to veteran Cam Bynum. While Wohler is a second-year player, he is as close to Haulcy's experience as any second-year player could be. Wohler had a great training camp in 2025, but suffered a Lisfranc injury and missed the entire season. In other words, he hasn't played a down of real NFL football.
With CJ Allen at linebacker, he has returned to practice and played in the preseason, but he didn't look anywhere close to being the green dot on Lou Anarumo's defense. Allen didn't play well enough to even be a guaranteed starter. The Indianapolis Colts would be better off going with Akeen Davis-Gaither and Jaylon Carlies to begin Week 1.
Possibly, the only rookie who might start against the Ravens is linebacker Bryce Boettcher. He has been better than expected and, in fact, better than Allen so far.
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