Indianapolis Colts running back Evan Hull is leaving Indiana for Pennsylvania.
Originally chosen by the Colts in the fifth round of the 2023 draft, Hull was envisioned to be a complement to Jonathan Taylor. While Taylor is known for his explosive running abilities, his ability to catch is far less reliable. Hull had an impressive career at Northwestern: he played in 38 games, with 488 attempts for 2,417 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, as well as 94 passes for 851 receiving yards and four receiving scores.
Unfortunately, Hull's career in Indianapolis was over before it even began. He had just one carry before suffering an ACL injury. Though there were reasons to be optimistic about Hull in 2024, he ended up relegated to the practice squad, with Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson serving as Taylor's back-ups instead.
Hull is now heading to Pittsburgh on a reserve/futures contract, and letting him go may not be a smart decision for the Colts. Sermon and Goodson are solid, reliable running backs, but they lack the explosive potential that Taylor has, and it's for good reason that the Colts' offense leans so heavily on his abilities. Unfortunately, that is simply not sustainable long term.
In Pittsburgh, Hull will be backing Najee Harris. It's likely that he'll be used primarily in the back end, where his catching skills and ability to block can be best taken advantage of. Only time will tell if this ends up being a move the Colts regret. Taylor can do a lot, but if he is the only real weapon the Colts have on the ground, then it's all too easy for the opposing defense to shut him down. It's much better to have several backs with versatile skills, who can keep a defense guessing - and as of now, the Colts don't have that.