What a difference a year makes. In 2025, the Indianapolis Colts kicked off the season by blowing the doors off the Miami Dolphins, 33-8. It was the beginning of a sensational romp through the first half of the season that briefly had the Colts thinking Super Bowl. It all fell apart in the final two months as Indy dropped their last seven games.
The losing streak continued in an underwhelming 41-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1 of the 2026 season. So the question needs to be asked: how confident can Colts fans be that Shane Steichen will get this turned around and put Indy back into the AFC South conversation?
We will try to put this into some context by ranking the significant players on the roster in terms of how much confidence fans should have after one game.
The level of trust for an individual player is bound to ebb and flow throughout the season, so we’ll consider today’s exercise a starting point. Then we will check back throughout the season to see who is gaining that trust and who is falling by the wayside.
- How the Indianapolis Colts trust index works?
- The alphas
- The mainstays
- The fast risers
- The proving ground
- The slipping grip
- The afterthoughts
How the Indianapolis Colts trust index works?
We began the season with certain expectations. Barring extraordinary circumstances, nothing that happened in Week 1 was going to radically shake those perceptions. A good performance might nudge a player up just as a bad one might drop him down a bit. But this is more of a long-term assessment. The important thing will be to see how each player fares over time.
We will try to glean what we can from usage and coaches' comments to assess the trust level, but most of the evaluation will simply come from our own eyes.
The alphas
Jonathan Taylor, RB
Forget the fumble against the Ravens. That will happen, especially to runners who fight for yards the way Taylor does. Taylor continues to be the best player on the team. His 5.2 yards per carry against a Ravens defense that was mostly stymying Steichen’s offense is a testament to just how vital JT is to this team’s fortunes.
Quenton Nelson, G
If you want to take issue with what I just said – that Jonathan Taylor is the best current Colt – I will accept subbing in Nelson. The Colts' offensive line is the team’s best unit, and Nelson is their leader. They weren’t great against Baltimore, but they were still the most reliable part of the squad, and they should remain that way throughout the season.
Bernhard Raimann, OT
I think Raimann has been overlooked a little bit since signing his extension last year. He is an upper -echelon left tackle who is just entering his prime. That is something every team in the league craves.
DeForest Buckner, DT
Buckner returned from the injury that slowed him at the end of last season to turn in his typically strong game. Despite whiffing on a would-be sack early on, he provided solid pressure throughout. Fortunately, this defense does not have to face Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry anymore this year, so the struggles they had on Sunday should be less pronounced going forward.
Laiatu Latu, Edge
Latu is the Colts' best pass rusher. I realize that defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo likes to take advantage of his athletic versatility by dropping him into coverage from time to time. But that only works if there are other defensive players on the field to pick up the pass-rushing slack. Right now, there are not. Latu should be rushing the passer as often as possible.
Sauce Gardner, CB
Gardner wasn’t especially good on Sunday. None of the corners were. He was the least objectionable because he was the least targeted. Despite a quiet opener, Gardner remains the lynchpin to the back end of the defense. He will need to play like the true shutdown corner he was in his first couple of seasons if this defense is going to right itself. After one game, there is no reason to lose confidence.
The mainstays
Daniel Jones, QB
I wish I could put Jones in the “alpha” tier. He looked reasonably good on Sunday despite the fact that his numbers were poor. I am going to attribute that to rust. He did not play in the preseason, which may have been prudent but certainly did him no favors in getting up to speed for Week 1.
I’m not overly concerned about the interception or the modest numbers. I am very concerned about his inability to outrun Tavius Robinson on a first-quarter sack.
Tanor Bortolini, C
Bortolini was a pleasant surprise last season. He should lock down the center position for years to come. He struggled on Sunday with the Colts' mammoth Travis Jones, but I consider that a temporary blip.
Matt Goncalves, G
I thought Goncalves played rather well on Sunday. He was generally considered the weakest link in a pretty strong line last year, but if that is indeed the case, this line is in very good shape.
Tyler Warren, TE
This one bears watching. Despite catching Jones’ lone touchdown pass of the game, Warren was a non-factor otherwise. Three receptions on five targets for a meagre 13 yards is not going to cut it for a player considered to be one of the best young tight ends in the league. There is no reason to worry … yet. I assume he will bounce back from this.
Alec Pierce, WR
Everything written about Daniel Jones applies here as well. Pierce looked rusty early, but he got better as the game wore on. He will be fine, assuming his ankle doesn’t flare up. I would like to be able to move him into the top tier before too long, but he isn’t there yet.
Josh Downs, WR
Downs had the biggest pass play of the game for the Colts. But that came on the fifth play of the game, and he was mostly invisible the rest of the day. Much like Warren, I don’t think there’s any reason to worry yet, but he should emerge as a more consistent playmaker over the next month. If he fails to do so, it is a bad sign for the offense.
Cam Bynum, S
No one in the Colts' back seven was good on Sunday. Bynum, as expected, was the best, but it is very hard for a deep safety to look good if the players in front of him are faltering. He made all the tackles he was required to make.
And he was tasked with relaying the defensive signals, which is not typically a job for a deep safety. He will be relieved of that role this week, which should help him focus on keeping the defensive backfield better organized.
The fast risers
Jalen Travis, OT
Travis started games last season, but 2026 marks his debut as the Colts' official starting right tackle. And he did quite well in the role. No penalties and a single pressure allowed in 35 pass sets. A very solid job in the run game. He and Matt Goncalves looked like they had been playing together for years on the right side. Travis is a genuine athletic talent who should only get better with more experience.
Arden Key, Edge
Key is a veteran, so placing him in this category seems a little odd. Still, he surpassed expectations on Sunday, generating a sack and a couple of other pressures. And he played reasonably well against the run as well. If Key can be a consistent every-down edge, it will be a major asset as several of the rookies work their way into the rotation.
Tim Smith, DT
Smith was only in the game for 13 defensive snaps, but he was very active, helping clog the middle and making a few tackles. He should be pushed to the front of the line of rotational tackles, playing behind DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart.
The proving ground
Keenan Allen, WR
Allen is a known entity, and he did nothing in his first game as a Colt to diminish expectations. He caught all six of his targets, which suggests he can be an effective possession receiver while several young pass catchers handle deeper patterns.
At the same time, he had a very low depth of target and virtually no yards after the catch. We will have to see if this is more a function of his lack of practice time with Daniel Jones or whether age is catching up with him.
Seth McGowan, RB
McGowan had one very nice kickoff return late in the contest. Otherwise, his impact was minimal. Hopes that he can reduce Jonathan Taylor’s workload are somewhat diminished right now. It’s not because he isn’t a good runner, though he did not show much on Sunday.
It owes more to his ineffectiveness in pass protection. Until he locks down that part of the game, it is difficult to have him on the field.
Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB
On a day when Colts linebackers were not very good, Davis-Gaither was what passed for a bright spot. At least he looked like he knew what he was doing on the field. He was active in the run game and a liability in the passing game, which has been his M.O. for much of his pro career.
Hopefully, Anarumo will make it a priority to fix the pass coverage – particularly in the middle of the field -- and ADG will see his play improve along with the rest of the squad.
Caden Curry, Edge
Curry looked very active in preseason but barely saw the field on Sunday. There is room on this defense for anyone who can make plays. Curry may be one of those players once the game slows down for him.
Bryce Boettcher, LB
Everything mentioned about Caden Curry above applies to Boettcher. Only Boettcher plays a position where he will be relied on far more heavily than Curry. Given the current situation at linebacker, Boettcher needs to get up to speed quickly. It’s a lot to ask of a rookie fourth-round pick. He is aggressive but often seems out of position right now.
AJ Haulcy, S
Haulcy generated the lowest Pro Football Focus (subscription required) grade of any Colt defender in Week 1. That came almost entirely from his coverage failures. But as previously mentioned, this was an entire-unit breakdown, and it is hard to write off a player as gifted as Haulcy after one game. He should improve, and if he doesn’t, Hunter Wohler is waiting in the wings.
The slipping grip
Spencer Shrader, K
After coming from behind to take the placekicker job from Blake Grupe in the preseason, Shrader missed the first extra point of his career. He bounced back and converted his other three kicks, including a 58-yard field goal, so perhaps the miss was a minor glitch.
But kickers are an odd lot, and one miss often leads to more. Shrader will be watched closely over the next several games to make sure he is the same player who won the job this preseason.
Justin Walley, CB
The most disappointing debut was turned in by Walley. He was seen as a plus slot corner, but he didn’t look the part against Zay Flowers. Cornerbacks and kickers need short memories, so as with Shrader, it will be vital that Walley comes back strong in the next few weeks.
Jaylon Carlies, LB
On a day when the Colts' pass coverage was repeatedly torched, their best cover linebacker looked largely at sea. As with AJ Haulcy, time will tell whether this was due to a unit-wide failure or whether Carlies is not the player Colts fans had hoped to see.
Charvarius Ward, CB
This is a bit of a gut reaction. But I did not like the way the veteran looked on Sunday. Seeing an old journeyman like Chris Moore smoke him on a 53-yard deep ball was a jolt. Hearing his post-game comments regarding headaches is even more worrisome. It is possible that Ward will never be the player he was a few years ago.
Grover Stewart, DT
I didn’t think Stewart was as bad as his PFF Grade (second lowest on the team) suggests. But he didn’t really look like the Grover Stewart we have seen in the past. His play does appear to be falling off. The question is – how much has he fallen, and do the Colts have the depth to lighten his workload in hopes of keeping him fresher?
The afterthoughts
CJ Allen, LB
If Walley had the roughest debut, Allen had the worst day of any new player. He was in uniform but never got on the field. He was billed as the defensive savior when Chris Ballard drafted him.
The fact that he seems to have entirely fallen out of the team’s plans without ever having played is a looming disaster. Of course, there is time for this issue to turn around, but we have seen no signs of that happening yet.
Ashton Dulin and Laquon Treadwell, WRs
When Alec Pierce was out and before Keenan Allen was signed, there was some talk of either or both of these veterans taking on a bigger role in the offense. That seemed unlikely, and Sunday confirmed it. They can be good contributors on special teams – especially Dulin. But that is all.
Jaylahn Tuimoloau, Edge
Tuimoloau played 23 snaps. He made one tackle. He missed one tackle. He was not able to provide consistent pass pressure. Tuimoloau benefits from the relative lack of depth across the Colts' defense, which suggests he will get more opportunities. But he needs to start making a bigger impact or his snaps will go to others.
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