Although the Indianapolis Colts have endured a bit of a tougher stretch over the last couple of games, things are still going well this season, all things considered. They continue to be one of the league's best surprises.
Among many reasons why they've had so much success is, of course, the level of play they've gotten from quarterback Daniel Jones. And, one of Jones' favorite targets is a guy who finally filled a void the Colts have had for years -- tight end Tyler Warren.
Indy spent year after year trying to figure out their tight end room, but to no avail. And, one of the more recent attempts to fix that position could very well be on his way out of the building after this season.
2023 fifth-round pick Will Mallory came to the Colts as a potential sleeper at the tight end position, but any ounce of luster has since faded.
Will Mallory might not be in the Colts' plans for the 2026 season
While Warren has been a breath of fresh air, the Colts have also continued to stick with longtime Indy veteran Mo Alie-Cox as a staple in that room. Mallory couldn't even do enough to warrant playing time ahead of the 32-year-old veteran, let alone another recent draft pick, Drew Ogletree.
Mallory came out of the University of Miami boasting excellent speed for the position and very good hands. But, a lot of what was done for him in college disguised his weaknesses. For one, it's his lack of strength and inability to even remotely create for himself.
To this day, Mallory still has not done enough to earn playing time. He has seen himself become a healthy scratch more often than not, with the Colts placing Ogletree ahead of him instead. Even last week, Ogletree was able to nab his first career touchdown while Mallory stood and watched.
Now, Mallory does have one year left on his contract. But, the most-likely scenario if he is to play out that final year, would be for him to stick on the roster and ultimately be part of the practice squad.
The bigger question might be whether or not Alie-Cox plays another year. If he does, then Mallory's spot on the team is guaranteed to be gone. The other question would be if the Colts opted to take another late-round dart shot on a tight end, as they've often done over the years.
Regardless, Mallory's continued inactive status has spoken loud enough.