On the opening kickoff of the Indianapolis Colts preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday, rookie wide receiver Deion Burks returned the ball 49 yards. It was nullified by a holding call, but that one play threw a new wrinkle into what had appeared to be a two-man battle for Indy’s return specialist job.
The next time the rookie got a chance, he went 31 yards. On both returns, he showed the speed and elusiveness Shane Steichen hopes to see when Burks plays receiver. He also showed the decisiveness – the one-cut-and-go strategy – that is required of anyone returning kicks in the NFL.
Burks returned three other kickoffs during the game. Unfortunately for the Colts, Atlanta scored a lot of points and kicked off plenty of times. As the game wore on, Indy’s kickoff returns wilted, much like the rest of the team.
Deion Burks stakes a claim to be the Indianapolis Colts' return specialist
Whether that was because Burks was running them back behind players who were deeper and deeper on the depth charts, or whether it was a function of an Atlanta team that simply seemed more up for the game is impossible to know. Still, given Indy’s mediocre return game in recent years, it is hard to forget how Deion Burks looked on those first two returns.
The Colts did not have a return for a touchdown in 2025. They didn’t have one in 2024 or in 2023. The last time Indianapolis took a kick or punt to the house was in 2020. Week 5 against Cleveland. Rookie cornerback Isaiah Rodgers went 101 yards for the score.
Of course, touchdown returns are very rare. In the entire NFL, there were just 15 punts and six kickoffs taken back all the way in 2025. But – and check my math here – that still means that, generally speaking, each of the NFL’s 32 teams might reasonably expect to score on a return once every two or three years. The Colts are riding a five-and-a-half-year dry spell.
The role of returner seemed to be coming down to a straight-up battle between the incumbent Anthony Gould and the challenger Coleman Owen. Owen may be in the lead based on Gould’s injury status. Owen has been a reasonable – if not spectacular – option.
Since neither Gould nor Owen has produced much as a receiver in the NFL, it would seem like only one of them will make the roster, and that the decision would be largely based on who Indy prefers as their kickoff and punt returner. But what if Deion Burks is now in the mix? Is it possible that he takes the job from both of them?
Burks did return kickoffs in college, but only for one season, back in 2022 when he was at Purdue. His numbers were nothing special. He didn’t crack 20 yards per return, which is a low threshold on kickoffs. But he certainly appears to have the tools to handle the job.
Punts are a different matter, and that is why, barring any new information, either Owen or Gould probably still has a job … at least to begin the season.
Burks did not field a punt in college. Returning punts is one of the most difficult things an NFL player does. It is physically demanding because a lot of very big, fast men are closing in fast, ready to annihilate the returner. It is mentally demanding. It requires great focus. The returner must make an immediate decision about whether to field the punt or let it bounce. Call a fair catch or try a return.
And the cost of a muff or fumble can be devastating. It always results in a major swing in both field position and momentum.
So even if Burks becomes Indy’s regular kick returner, we will need to see if they trust him on punts before writing off Gould and Owen. The problem is, given the Colts' anemic defense on Saturday, the Lions may not have to punt often in the final preseason game this Saturday.
If they are really pressed for roster spots, the Colts do have another option, but it’s hard to imagine it right now. Josh Downs can return punts.
Burks is not currently an integral part of the passing attack, but he figures to get more snaps at receiver than either Gould or Owen this season. Therefore, splitting the return job between Burks and Downs would give the Colts two dangerous returners without devoting a spot to a specialist who will do little else.
The problem is that you are putting one of your top receiving options in Downs at added risk. That scenario didn’t seem to bother Rashid Shaheed and the Seattle Seahawks en route to the Super Bowl last year, but the Colts may view it differently.
Whatever happens, we should assume that Shane Steichen is going to do everything possible to energize his potential for scoring. After the Falcons game, Deion Burks may figure into that more than he has up to now.
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