The Indianapolis Colts are just a few weeks away from the beginning of the 2026 season, and while most roster spots are likely set, some players are trying to prove they are still worthy of getting paid by Indy to play football. Others are trying to cement their spot on the depth chart.
These are the kinds of things that make the preseason worth viewing for fans. The outcomes don't matter, but ironically, what happens during the games does. Position battles will play out, and some players will need to find new employment soon.
In preseason Week 2, the Colts will play the Atlanta Falcons, but head coach Shane Steichen has already said his team's starters won't play. That leaves more room for roster battles to play out.
3 Indianapolis Colts who need standout performances in preseason Week 2
Quarterback Riley Leonard
In the first two preseason games at least, Indianapolis will be rotating who starts the game between Leonard and Anthony Richardson. Richardson started preseason Week 1 and was fairly solid, though he did have a fumble (and an interception that wasn't his fault). Leonard wasn't quite as good when he played in the second half of the game.
The difference might have been that Richardson's blocking was mostly the immediate backups of Indy's offensive line. Leonard was being poorly protected by the backups of backups, and it showed.
If Leonard performs better against the Falcons behind the immediate O-line backups, he could keep the answer as to who will be QB2 unknown. If he plays badly and Richardson does well in the second half, Leonard's fate might be sealed as QB3.
Kicker Blake Grupe
The kicker job should belong to Grupe, who has had the better and more consistent camp than Spencer Shrader. The issue was that in preseason Week 1 against the New England Patriots, Grupe missed his only field goal attempt (a 61-yard try), while Shrader made his, including one from beyond 60 yards.
Shrader was the Indianapolis Colts' kicker to begin last season, of course, but was then injured in Week 5. He was great within 50 yards, but didn't show off an extremely strong leg. That made his make against New England all the more impressive.
Should Grupe fail to convert any attempts against the Falcons and Shrader make his, what has happened in training camp might not matter. Shrader could edge out Grupe for the roster spot. Whether that works out well when the real games begin is unknown, though.
Wide receiver Coleman Owen
The Colts' wide receiver room got a big shakeup during the week as veteran Keenan Allen signed. This means those wideouts hoping to earn reps as WR3 are now simply hoping to hold on to a roster spot. A battle between Laquon Treadwell, Anthony Gould, rookie Deion Burks, and Owen rages on.
Owen could have a slight advantage over the others in terms of positional flexibility, however. He might not be a high-level performer on offense, but he can return kicks and punts. Gould has missed practices recently due to a groin injury. If Owen shines on special teams, he would make his best argument for sticking on the team.
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