The Indianapolis Colts got some answers during their trip to Baltimore for the first preseason game of 2025. Unfortunately, most of those answers weren't the ones they were hoping to find. Happily, they did confirm one lingering question in this game.
Let's not dodge the obvious here, crew. If the Indianapolis Colts could afford to release their co-number 1 quarterbacks, they'd be much better off. The team has too much guaranteed money invested in both of them to release either one. And what team in their right mind would give up more than a loaf of Wonder Bread for either of them after those performances?
Quarterback is a position to worry about another day. The Colts may still have questions there, but there can be no doubt the team found the answer to a position that's been undermanned this decade. Remember when Phillip Rivers did his farewell tour via Indianapolis? Yeah, that's how long it's been since the Colts had a legitimate threat at this position? Those days are back.
Tyler Warren is the next great Indianapolis Colts tight end
If you want to be technical about it, Indy did have a solid tandem for a couple of years between Jack Doyle and Eric Ebron. Sure, Ebron had that one great Pro Bowl season in 2018, but he never had more than five scores in any other year. Plus, he was never one of those guys opposing defenses had to scheme around.
Doyle was much the same. He was a fine player and even made the Pro Bowl twice, sandwiched around Ebron's appearance. But he was never in the category of contemporaries like Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, or George Kittle. Defensive coordinators had to account for those guys in their game plan every week. If you have a No. 84 jersey, wear it with pride. But you know he's not him.
Once you go back to the 2000s, you find a truly dangerous tight end. Dallas Clark was the last great Colts TE. Now, maybe some of that had to do with who was throwing the ball then, but Clark still had to get open and catch it. Clark more than doubled Doyle's touchdowns, averaged nearly two more yards per catch, and moved the chains twice as often as Doyle. I believe you spell that S T U D.
Now, Indianapolis has its man. Tyler Warren has been a superstar throughout the summer and did nothing to shake that against the Ravens. He was targeted four times, and he caught four passes. One was called back, but that's not his fault.
He lined up nearly everywhere and caught everything that came his way. Indianapolis may have been better off if he'd lined up at QB, for that matter. The only thing that will keep him from the Pro Bowl is the relative mediocrity of his quarterbacks. My bad; that's for another time. Warren, though, is an absolute pro.