The Indianapolis Colts are officially through one week of practice at training camp. After an evening session on Thursday, the team has a day off on Friday. This will be a great time for coaches to reflect on what happened early in camp.
Some players have emerged unexpectedly, and that should give fans hope for success in 2026. One player not mentioned among the winners and losers below, though, is a key one who so far has an incomplete grade for 2026. Wide receiver Alec Pierce hasn't practiced yet after having ankle surgery in March.
His lack of reps has allowed other receivers to get more work in, at least. Ashton Dulin has looked quite good, for instance. One other receiver has looked even better, however, and he is among the winners that follow.
The first week of training camp confirmed what many Indianapolis Colts fans already knew
Winner: Daniel Jones
Jones hasn't simply been healthy enough to play since the first day of camp, which might have come as a surprise to some, but he has been exceedingly sharp. According to ESPN's Stephen Holder, the quarterback had the best practice of his year-plus time in Indianapolis during Thursday's evening practice.
Unlike last year in training camp when Jones was battling with Anthony Richardson for the QB1 spot, Jones looks much better than the other QBs in camp. That's both good and bad, of course. As long as Jones stays healthy, he should be quite good. If he gets hurt again, the team might be in trouble.
Winner: Seth McGowan
Jonathan Taylor needs a reliable backup to emerge in camp, and so far that appears to be rookie and seventh-round selection McGowan. The running back definitely has the size and power to be a solid NFL back, but Taylor recently pointed out that McGowan has nimble feet, too.
To be clear, McGowan isn't going to come close to getting even half the carries that Taylor has, but McGowan could help Taylor remain fresh. In the second half of last season, Indy's RB1 appeared to tire. McGowan might make sure that doesn't happen this season.
Loser: CJ Allen
Many were hoping, and likely even expecting, Allen to become the green dot in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's system. That might still happen, but it is trending toward being more unlikely. The issue is that the rookie linebacker is missing quite a few practices. All rookies need reps, but especially one who could take on an essential role on the defense.
He missed the start of camp with a minor calf strain. He missed the team's most recent practice with a hamstring injury. He has no timeline for his return. He should still be a starter at the beginning of the season, assuming he is healthy enough to play, but safety Cam Bynum might serve as the green dot, the player who relays Anarumo's play calls.
Winner: Jonathan Taylor
Taylor could not have participated in one rep of practice, and he would still be a winner because he agreed to an extension this week. The added seasons will cover two years and be as much as $47 million. $39 million of which was guaranteed. That's a win-win for the player and the team.
The Indianapolis Colts couldn't afford to lose Jonathan Taylor. Maybe the team hasn't made the playoffs since his rookie year in 2020, but imagine how much worse the team would have been without him. With Taylor, the team should stay in contention for a playoff spot in 2026 and beyond.
Loser: Anthony Richardson
The time since the end of last season has been brutal for Richardson. He requested to be traded, and nothing materialized. Even after the first three days of camp went by and any potential trade partner would have only paid $1.1 million for the quarterback in 2026, nothing happened. He's apparently played so poorly and been hurt so often that no one wants him.
Even worse, he's had a terrible camp. He has been inaccurate once again with his throws and has developed a new problem. He has muffed several snaps from center, according to the Indy Star, which is incomprehensible for a quarterback entering his fourth season. If he can't even complete the fundamentals easily, he should never see a down of real football.
Winner: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
The battle for the Colts' WR3 is real, and likely ongoing until training camp ends. What seems to be trending is that the spot will come down to Indianapolis veteran Ashton Dulin and free agent acquisition Westbrook-Ikhine. The latter might have the advantage because he can play in the slot as well as outside.
He has also had a fantastic camp. The question is whether he can translate camp success into real games. He's never had more than 38 catches in a season or 497 receiving yards, and while he's been good in practice, that doesn't mean he will be good when the bright lights come on. Maybe he will find his magic in a Colts uniform, though.
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