All NFL teams had to cut their rosters down to 53 players on Sunday. However, should you happen to peruse the Indianapolis Colts website, you will notice they list 55 players on the active roster. And to be honest, I have no idea why.
Actually, I have a pretty good theory. It’s a mistake. Someone forgot to update the list. That’s the only explanation I have, and it kind of fits with a team that has been very good about identifying top-end talent and very lax in filling in the back half of the roster.
Cam Taylor-Britt is not part of that 53 (or 55) man squad. Not yet. He will be once his one-game suspension is over. Then the Colts will have to designate a current player (or three current players) in some other way.
Ranking the Indianapolis Colts 2026 roster, from bottom to top
Also, the two “extra” players on the team’s website roster are cornerback Rob Carter, Jr., and running back Anderson Castle, in case any Colts interns are reading and want to fix it. Both Carter and Castle are also properly listed as members of the practice squad.
Pleasant surprises
53. Kapena Gushiken, CB
Gushiken was not a part of the original 53. He was claimed off waivers from Philadelphia, causing swing tackle Luke Tenuta to be moved to the practice squad. There is a chance that the athletically gifted but undersized slot corner is in town while Cam Taylor-Britt serves his one-game suspension, and then will be flipped with Tenuta.
52. Tahj Chambers, LB
Chambers made the roster as an undrafted free agent primarily as a special-teamer. I suspect uncertainty at the linebacker position gave him a slight opening as well. And it should be noted that despite this ranking, Chambers was one of the better linebackers the team had throughout the preseason, consistently outperforming second-round draft pick CJ Allen.
51. Riley Leonard, QB
I thought the Colts should have given Leonard the reins late last season. The fact that they recalled 44-year-old Daniel Jones really says all you need to know about how they view Leonard. He is an emergency option right now.
50. Laquon Treadwell, WR
There are several experienced veterans who have not looked especially good on either offense or defense of late but clearly offer some traits that the coaches value. With Treadwell, it is his solid special teams play. In two seasons with the Colts, he has been on the field for 43 offensive snaps and has yet to be targeted in the passing game.
49. Deion Burks, WR
Burks is at the other end of the spectrum from Treadwell. The seventh-round pick in last year’s draft showed some talent both as a pass catcher and as a kick returner this preseason. He beat out Anthony Gould for a roster spot after the third member of that competition, Coleman Owen, was injured in the third preseason game.
Iffy depth
48. Anthony Richardson, QB
It is virtually impossible to evaluate Richardson at this point. For all those who say he has looked better this year and has made some solid plays, I agree. The problem has never been his ability to make plays. It is his ability to consistently make plays.
When he begins showing that, perhaps he will have the bright future so many scouts predicted. The mere fact that he remains on the roster is an anomaly. Quarterbacks with his draft pedigree rarely remain with the team that drafted them in a backup capacity.
47. Johnathan Edwards, CB
Edwards got some valuable experience as an injury fill-in last year. He didn’t play particularly well, but he should be more comfortable this season. That’s why it was so disappointing to see him get beaten badly in the first preseason game. He did get a little better in the second week, but it looks as if Edwards is on the roster primarily because the Colts’ secondary depth is very, very weak.
46. Jerry Tillery, DT
Tillery was one of two veteran interior linemen Chris Ballard brought in to provide depth behind aging starters DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart. The other, Derrick Nnadi was released. Tillery, who appeared a little more active in preseason, stuck. But he does not appear to figure into any long-term plans.
45. Jalen Farmer, G
I think Farmer will develop in time. He is in a good situation, playing behind quality starters for a team that knows how to develop young linemen. He still needs a fair amount of work, but he should be quickly rising up future versions of this list.
44. Tim Smith, DT
After Grover Stewart, Smith is the second-biggest defensive lineman on the squad. He and Stewart are the only two defenders who top 300 pounds. As such, I suspect he will have a role to play as a run-stopping specialist. Like Farmer, he may not be a solid contributor, but he needs to get some reps and begin showing just how good he can be.
43. DJ Giddens, RB
It was very encouraging to see Giddens find the end zone against the Lions in the third preseason game. On that run, he looked like the shifty, change-of-direction back fans were promised. Unfortunately, that one run was it this preseason. Injuries have slowed his progress, and he seems to have slipped down to the third back on the roster.
42. Jaylon Jones, CB
Jones was the forgotten man in the secondary last year. An injury derailed him when he seemed on the verge of taking a starting spot. Since returning, he hasn’t looked too bad, but he has yet to show he can really step up in big situations.
41. Dalton Tucker, IOL
At some point, you have to admit reality. Watching preseason games, I thought there were several other backup offensive linemen who outperformed Tucker. That could be because he was being asked to play a new position – center.
That experiment appears to be over, and he is back at guard. Obviously, his coaches see something in his play that I am missing, and their opinion is the only one that matters.
40. Michael Clemons, DL
Clemons was a bargain-priced free agent acquisition this offseason. I don’t think he did much at his natural end position, but I did like him as an interior pass rusher. I’m not clear how Lou Anarumo will use him, but I am clear on the fact that he made the roster, while fellow young veteran Colby Wooden did not.
39. Austin Ajiake, LB
Ajiake seemed to make some strides at linebacker this preseason, but he appears to be on the squad because of his high-level special teams play. As the rookie linebackers and edges gain experience, I don’t think Ajiake will see many defensive snaps this year.
Backups
38. Jonathan Owens, S
To my eyes, Juanyeh Thomas outperformed Owens this preseason. But again, the coaches saw it differently. The fact is, there’s not a lot to choose from between the two. Both are steady, unspectacular depth pieces.
37. Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, C
I don’t really know how to grade Van Pran-Granger, who only arrived a few days ago. I do know that I liked him in college, and that as a true center, he fills a massive hole behind starter Tanor Bortolini.
36. Bryce Boettcher, LB
Boettcher was among the most active linebackers on the field for the Colts this preseason. He also ran himself out of plays at times. That is bound to happen to a rookie linebacker, and he will get better in time. Ideally, he will be able to develop slowly, but that may not be possible given the Colts' issues at linebacker.
35. Drew Ogletree, TE
Ogletree has great athletic gifts, and every year, we hope the offense will find ways to take advantage of those gifts. So far, it has not happened, and he is no longer a youngster. He remains a good depth piece but nothing more.
34. JT Tuimoloau, E
I thought Tuimoloau looked a bit more comfortable this preseason. In his rookie year, he looked lost the few times he got on the field. His development is crucial this year, and the book remains very much open.
33. George Gumbs Jr., E
George Gumbs should not be ranking higher on this list than Tuimoloau. Not in his rookie season. The fact that he does suggests the Colts' edge rushing remains a work in progress.
32. Caden Curry, E
See George Gumbs above. The primary difference is that while Gumbs is performing around where I thought he would. Curry has been a pleasant surprise. He may not have greatness in his future, but that still looks like a pretty solid future as a contributor on defense.
31. Jaylon Carlies, LB
Carlies showed this preseason some of the potential that made him a potential starter a couple of seasons back. Injuries derailed that plan, but he is now back and is clearly the Colts' best option as a coverage linebacker.
30. Adetomiwa Adebawore, DT
Adebawore is the Colts' best backup interior lineman. He still has a long way to go to become a reliable every-down player, but he will give the starters a rest this season and should provide solid interior pass pressure.
29. Ashton Dulin, WR
Every team needs players like Ashton Dulin. Veterans who can contribute in a variety of ways. He may see an uptick in snaps on offense this year, and he may pitch in as a kick returner too. He will always be a very good special teamer.
28. Mo Alie-Cox, TE
I wondered last year if Alie-Cox might call it a day after the 2025 season. Silly me. He turns 33 soon but still gives the Colts what he has given them for the past eight seasons. Quality blocking. A sneaky-dangerous target in the passing game. I would not be at all surprised to see him surpass his recent snap counts as Shane Steichen runs more 12 and 13 personnel groupings.
The Luke Rhodes experience
27. Luke Rhodes, LS
152 games and counting in a Colts jersey. Rhodes remains an upper-tier long snapper.
The X-factors
26. CJ Allen, LB
If you are grading simply based on preseason play, Allen ranks in the 40s, not in the 20s. He was injured, he missed a lot of reps, and he did not play well when he got back on the field. There are major questions looming about Ballard’s top draft pick this year.
On the other hand, what we all saw in college was no fluke. He clearly has talent, and no one has ever questioned his desire and intelligence. We’ll hope for the best and assume Allen will begin showing marked improvement soon.
25. Seth McGowan, RB
McGowan ran well in preseason. But the only question that matters is whether he looked good enough in both games and practices to earn Shane Steichen’s trust. Will Steichen actually let his rookie give Jonathan Taylor the rest and support he desperately needs?
24. Spencer Shrader, K
Shrader has done all that has ever been asked of him in his brief time as an NFL kicker. Coming into this season, he was asked to increase his distance. He did that in fine fashion and won a job that many thought would go to Blake Grupe.
23. Akeem Gaither-Davis, LB
I have to admit that I have been an AGD skeptic. I think he is a middle-of-the-road performer who is being touted as an above-average starter. I’m beginning to think that perhaps I have undervalued what he can do. We’ll see soon enough. With CJ Allen’s slow development, AGD becomes an even more important player.
22. Hunter Wohler, S
Wohler was looking very good last preseason before his injury. He picked up right where he left off this year. He is a physical player who is at his best near the line. I think he may technically be a backup, but he will see a lot of action.
21. AJ Haulcy, S
CJ Allen was supposed to be the key rookie in the Colts' defensive rebuild. But at least early on, it is looking like Haulcy might be more crucial. Alongside Cam Bynum and with Wohler chipping in, the safety position should be a real team strength.
20. Justin Walley, CB
Walley was headed toward a starting spot last season before an injury ended his rookie campaign before it even began. He appears healthy and back on track this year, pegged to handle the slot position in a talented starting cornerback group.
19. Jalen Travis, OT
Travis takes over for long-time right tackle Braden Smith. Based on limited reps last year, I have high hopes for him. He should develop into an upper-level tackle in time.
Reliable starters
18. Rigoberto Sanchez, P
Remember early last season, when the Colts punter was the most bored guy on the field? The offense was so good that they didn’t need him. Let’s go back to that, OK? At least when called on, Sanchez remains a solid punter.
17. Arden Key, E
Key should do well as a pass rusher. If he has to be a primary run stopper as well, that doesn’t bode well for the defense.
16. Grover Stewart, DT
Stewart has been a rock for many years. He is declining a bit now. However, he can still form a quality interior alongside DeForest Buckner. Ideally, he will get some more snaps off this year as young players step up.
15. Matt Goncalves, G
Goncalves can be overshadowed on a line that boasts several other high-level performers. He has turned into a very dependable guard and will be asked to fill in as an emergency swing tackle at least until Luke Tenuta – or another option – joins the roster.
14. Charvarius Ward, CB
Ward was supposed to lock down one cornerback spot last year. It was looking like he could do that before a concussion caused him to consider retirement. This year, he does not have to be the CB1, which should help him return at a high level.
13. Keenan Allen, WR
Keenan Allen was a godsend. The Colts desperately needed help at receiver. Even at 34, Allen is a very dependable option. He can still get deep occasionally, but in this offense, he will run a lot of the shorter possession routes that Michael Pittman handled in recent years.
12.Daniel Jones, QB
I’d like to rank Jones higher, and I feel optimistic about what he will do this year. But he is coming off a serious injury and even his supporters can’t deny his career-long penchant for seesaw performances from year to year. If he is past both the injuries and the inconsistencies, it could be a big year.
11. Cam Bynum, S
In just his second season as a Colt, Bynum has taken over as a leader of the defense. He will handle the green dot responsibilities and relay plays from the coaches to his teammates on the field. And he will provide a steady presence at the back end of the defense.
10. Josh Downs, WR
This is the year for Josh Downs to prove that he can be more than a complementary slot receiver. With Michael Pittman gone and Alec Pierce slowed by recovery from surgery, Downs should hit the ground running and have his best year as a pro.
9. Bernhard Raimann, OT
Raimann protects Jones’ blindside. He is one of the better young left tackles in a league that is always looking for left tackles.
On the cusp
8. Tanor Bortolini, C
Bortolini was the most pleasant surprise on the team last year. He came out of the middle of the pack to establish himself as one of the best young centers in the NFL.
7. Tyler Warren, TE
The sky is the limit for Warren. He started off very strong as a rookie, but as the team struggled late, a few other rookie tight ends caught up to, and perhaps even surpassed him. This year, he should seize back the mantle as the best tight end in the 2025 draft.
6. Laiatu Latu, E
Latu was the club’s best pass rusher by a wide margin last year. He was also among the best pass defenders. That is a rare double, and it speaks to just how gifted an athlete the third-year player is.
5. Alec Pierce, WR
Before we learned about Pierce’s off-season ankle surgery, I thought he would have a sensational year as the Colts' clear WR1. I still believe that, but now it may take several weeks for him to get up to speed. We should see a much more diversified route tree this year, though I’m sure he will remain a formidable deep threat.
All-Pro caliber
4. DeForest Buckner, DT
There was concern that the neck problems that cost Buckner time last year could prompt him into retirement. That would have left a massive hole. Fortunately, he is back and reportedly feeling good. He should once again anchor the defensive line.
3. Quenton Nelson, G
Putting him third almost feels like a demotion. That’s how good Nelson has been throughout his entire career as a Colt. He continues to perform at an elite level and somehow is still only 30 years old.
2. Sauce Gardner, CB
Gardner’s shutdown ability will be crucial in helping Indy revitalize a very new defense this year. Just as important, his infectious spirit will be crucial as well. This unit was beaten down last year and is in dire need of an upgrade in swagger. Enter Sauce.
MVP
1. Jonathan Taylor, RB
Few teams depend on one player as much as the Colts rely on their star running back. He has the attitude and skill to shoulder that load, but he needs help. If Taylor can have a slightly less impressive year on paper, the Colts should have a better offense on the field. But it still all starts with JT.
Add us as a preferred source on Google