The Indianapolis Colts finished their preseason with a meeting against the backups of the Detroit Lions. Indy played many of their presumed starters in the first part of the first quarter, and the results were as one would expect. Indianapolis's defense was good against the Lions' QB3.
After that, the game tilted toward Detroit, but that isn't overly concerning. The scores of preseason games don't matter, but the individual play matters more than in the regular season. Players are trying to earn jobs, and, ironically, while trying to do so, also lose them.
A few roster spots probably became clearer with the performances in preseason Week 3. The inside linebacker position is still messy, for instance, but the backup quarterback position isn't.
Winners and losers from the Indianapolis Colts' preseason finale against the Detroit Lions
Loser: Wide receiver Coleman Owen
Owen is presumably in a roster battle with Anthony Gould, but in the first series of the game, Owen took a brutal hit after a 12-yard gain. He lay on the ground for a couple of minutes and then needed to go to the blue medical tent.
The issue is that an NFL team cannot be kind when making the most unkind of roster decisions. Maybe Owen has done enough in training camp and the preseason to make the roster, but that seems unlikely. Any setback, including an injury, can be devastating to one's dreams of making a team.
Winner: Cornerback Sauce Gardner
The elite cornerback has oddly gotten his share of disrespect this offseason, especially with some saying he is overrated. The positive part for Indianapolis is that the ridiculous thoughts about Gardner should only serve to motivate him once the real games begin.
He didn't act like he was in any mood to play nice against Detroit, either. On the Lions' opening drive, Gardner read a pass from backup quarterback Luke Altmyer and made an easy interception. The last time Gardner had a pick in a regular season game was in 2024, so his meaningless interception could indicate he will have plenty of meaningful ones.
Loser: Wide receiver Laquon Treadwell
There was a point in training camp that Treadwell might have had a chance at the WR3 spot. He's never been productive since he was taken in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, but maybe he could change that 10 years later in Indianapolis. He can't.
Early in the first quarter, with the Colts trying to get a first down deep in Lions territory, Anthony Richardson threw a pass to the outside of Treadwell, but the receiver was the one who seemed to run the route incorrectly. That kind of fundamental breakdown could get Treadwell booted from the roster when final cuts are made on Sunday.
Winner: Edge rusher Caden Curry
The Center Grove product was very good in preseason Week 1, invisible in Week 2, but back to being very good against the Lions. He got several pressures on quarterbacks and has definitely done enough to earn a roster spot.
Moreover, he has probably shown enough to get a lot of valuable reps when real games begin. Indianapolis's edge rush group is mostly iffy after Laiatu Latu and Arden Key, and needs some player to step up. That could be Curry, as he has done as much as anyone else in the preseason to prove he deserves a chance to play.
Loser: Center Dalton Tucker
Indianapolis had the starting five of its offensive line in at the beginning of the game, but replacing center Tanor Bortolini was Dalton Tucker, who was, to put it nicely, inefficient with his snaps in shotgun formation. Tucker was terrible immediately after coming into the game.
His issue wasn't just one thing, either. He snapped one nearly over the head of the 6'4" Richardson, and then snapped one at his feet. His penchant for poor snaps kept happening throughout the first half. That is losing football, and the Colts might be waiting until after roster cuts are made to claim their true backup center.
Winner: Quarterback Anthony Richardson
Richardson wasn't perfect, as he made a couple of throws that were iffy, but he didn't put the ball in harm's way and also made some laser-type completions. Should he be trusted as a QB1? Not at this point, but he looks better in year four than he has before in the preseason. He also absolutely looks better than Riley Leonard.
The hope was that Leonard, entering his second season, would be more comfortable in Shane Steichen's scheme, but if that is the case, it hasn't translated to solid success against other teams in the preseason. Before he gets too much blame for his seemingly awful interception in the second quarter, the real blame should go toward the next player on this list.
Loser: Running back DJ Giddens
Clearly, Giddens' teammates love him, as after he rushed for a touchdown in the second quarter, he was mobbed as if he had just scored a game-winning touchdown. That might be the highlight of his season.
On Leonard's interception, though, Giddens missed his assignment on a blitz and then whiffed on a block attempt. Backup running backs cannot afford to do that. Plus, as well as Seth McGowan has performed as a rookie, including starting preseason Week 3, Giddens might be the odd man out in the Colts' running back room.
Winner: Edge rusher Jaylahn Tuimoloau
This might be the only time the second-year edge rusher is listed as a winner this year, but he earned it against the Lions. He might not have gotten much pressure on Detroit's quarterbacks, but he was at least near the ball.
This was especially true on special teams where Tuimoloau was a force. He had two tackles, both extremely hard hits on the returner. At this point, the Ohio State product needs to prove that he can do anything positive for the Colts, and if that is on special teams, then so be it.
Loser: General manager Chris Ballard
Ballard didn't play in the game, of course, but what unfolded further proves he has little eye for how to build a full roster. He can find a few high-end starters because any GM can do that, but depth has been an issue throughout his tenure. 2026 appears to be no different.
Once the backups of Indianapolis play the backups of other teams, Indy often gets throttled. Those same backups are going to need to play a big role at some point, just as they did in 2025. Last season failed because the quality of the depth was lacking, and that appears to be the situation entering this season, too.
Winner: Kicker Spencer Shrader
Shrader was the team's kicker to begin last season until he was hurt in Week 5 and missed the rest of the year. His issue was that he didn't appear to be trusted for long field goal attempts. That time is gone.
After Blake Grupe presumably led the kicking competition through the early part of the preseason, Shrader has caught up through sheer brilliance in the fake games. His 60-yard make (right down the middle) in the third quarter likely sealed his status as the team's kicker and doomed Grupe. That said, Shrader has to do a much better job on kickoffs, as his kicks are far too flat.
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