The Indianapolis Colts are approaching the 2024 season with a lot of expectations and high hopes for success in The Circle City. Quarterback Anthony Richardson heads a talented and young Colts offense that is intriguing on paper and could be a problem for opposing defenses. As for the offenses' defensive counterparts, coordinator Gus Bradley will look to improve from a rough showing in 2023, where the Colts allowed 24.4 points per game and the secondary looked inexperienced. However, names like corners JuJu Brents, Jaylon Jones, and Kenny Moore II will look to rectify that in the upcoming campaign.
The rookie additions of dynamic names like defensive end Laiatu Latu and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell also must be stated. While Latu's day-one potential is more concrete to predict and forecast, Mitchell could take longer to become the starter that Indy's offense needs. But his athleticism, route-running fundamentals, and frame will work well in his favor to get meaningful snaps.
For ESPN's staff writer Bill Barnwell, Indianapolis has a chance to continue looking like the same nine-win team they've been two out of the last three years in 2024.
The past few years of Colts football have, with one notable exception in 2022, run together. They have been a well-coached team that annually competes for the playoffs. They run back a roughly similar roster with some small tweaks. They mostly re-sign their own free agents; their most expensive signing from another franchise was Raekwon Davis on a two-year, $14 million pact. GM Chris Ballard loves to take high-ceiling chances in the draft, and 2024 is no exception: He spent a first-round pick on edge rusher Laiatu Latu and a second-rounder on talented receiver Adonai Mitchell. Same old Colts isn't a criticism, but a realistic observation.
-Bill Barnwell | ESPN
Barnwell has a reason for his argument, as Indianapolis hasn't escaped the "sub-par" designation since the Andrew Luck era of football. Even when the Colts made the playoffs in 2020 with Philip Rivers at the helm, they did so by the skin of their teeth with a seventh-seed slot, the first time the NFL implemented 14 playoff spots instead of 12.
Last season did give notable players like wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, and cornerback Moore to further solidify their roles as stars for Indianapolis. It also displayed promising futures for receiver Josh Downs, corners Brents and Jones, and quarterback Richardson. Barnwell makes it a point to note that Richardson barely saw the field in 2023 but showcased good things as a leader of the Indianapolis offense.
The one change each of the past few years has been at quarterback. This season is no different given that we barely saw Anthony Richardson under center a year ago, as the rookie was sidelined by a season-ending shoulder injury after just 173 snaps. What we did see was promising; he wasn't great as a passer, but he wasn't as much of a project as some expected given his lack of experience. And he was extremely valuable as a runner, carrying the ball 25 times for 136 yards and four touchdowns across his four starts.
-Bill Barnwell | ESPN
Barnwell finishes the Indianapolis entry by mentioning how drastically the team had to pivot due to the difference between Richardson and Gardner Minshew as quarterbacks, and how they still found their way to a winning record despite the setback.
The Colts basically had to scrap the focus of their offense and offseason work after replacing the injured Richardson with Gardner Minshew. They would have to do the same thing, obviously, if Richardson is sidelined again and gives way to new backup Joe Flacco. The hope is we get to see Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor on the field together regularly, something that happened for only two offensive snaps last season. Relying on an essentially new quarterback is old hat for Indianapolis, but if we see a full season of Richardson, its offense will look very different from what we saw from coach Shane Steichen & Co. for most of 2023.
-Bill Barnwell | ESPN
Richardson and game-breaking runner Jonathan Taylor could be a massive issue for opponents if they remain healthy. Also, it opens up the offense for Shane Steichen to a capacity where anything is possible given Richardson's arm strength and abilities as a runner.
The ceiling of potential for the Colts team in 2024 is sky-high. If Richardson stays on the field this time and gets a chance to operate behind a solid offensive line, throw to a promising group of pass-catchers, and work with a player like Taylor, Indianapolis could be a sleeper team in 2024. We'll have to see how the rest of the off-season plays out as Indianapolis readies itself for year two of the Steichen-Richardson era.
Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of theHorseshoe Huddle Podcast!
Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X; subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.
