ColtsWire

Aug. 29, 2026, 9:23 p.m. ET Saturday's preseason finale for the Indianapolis Colts was the final data point for head coach Shane Steichen as he determines who will be the team's backup quarterback. Anthony Richardson got the start in this contest and played the first quarter. He delivered an efficient performance and helped lead two drives that ended in field goals. "I thought Anthony got some good drives, for sure," Steichen said afterward, via Locked on Colts. "I think he finished 7-of-10.

Aug. 29, 2026, 9:11 p.m. ET Following the conclusion of the preseason for the Indianapolis Colts, next up is roster cutdown day for GM Chris Ballard, head coach Shane Steichen, and other decision-makers. While the preseason games and joint practices will carry more weight in the evaluation process, everything that has taken place since OTAs in the spring will be taken into consideration as Ballard constructs this year's initial 53-man roster.

Aug. 29, 2026, 8:44 p.m. ET The Indianapolis Colts’ months-long kicking competition is over. Now Blake Grupe and Spencer Shrader can only wait for the verdict. Both kickers delivered in Saturday’s 25-16 preseason loss to the Detroit Lions. Grupe made field goals from 46 and 36 yards in the first half, while Shrader drilled his only opportunity from 60 yards after halftime, per the Colts’ game recap.

Aug. 29, 2026, 6:06 p.m. ET Anthony Richardson Sr. and Riley Leonard have spent training camp competing for the Indianapolis Colts’ backup quarterback job. Speaking to the media after the preseason finale's 25-16 loss to the Detroit Lions, Richardson made clear that the competition hasn't affected his support for his teammate. “I’m rooting for everybody to win.

Aug. 29, 2026, 5:42 p.m. ET The Indianapolis Colts wrapped up their preseason with a 25-16 loss to the Detroit Lions. Indianapolis finished the preseason without winning a single game after tying in the preseason opener against the New England Patriots and getting blown out by the Atlanta Falcons. The Colts managed to keep this game within one score for the first three quarters before allowing the Lions to march down the field on a 14-play, 62-yard drive that took nearly eight minutes.

Aug. 29, 2026, 5:11 p.m. ET More often than not, there always seems to be a roster cut that catches everyone off guard. For the 2026 Indianapolis Colts, who might those surprise roster cuts be? Admittedly, with most roster spots accounted for, finding a true surprise move may not be easy. That said, there are several relatively recent additions that GM Chris Ballard has made over the last two years who could end up on the outside looking in.

Aug. 29, 2026, 4:35 p.m. ET The Indianapolis Colts' initial 53-man roster must be set by 6:00 PM ET on Sunday. While there will be some tough decisions for GM Chris Ballard to make, the roster is already largely set. After putting together one final roster projection, here are the players at each position that we view as roster locks heading into cutdown day.

Aug. 29, 2026, 4:14 p.m. ET Next up for GM Chris Ballard and the Indianapolis Colts is roster cutdown day. By 6:00 PM ET on Sunday, the Colts' roster must be at 53 players. Given everything we've seen over the last month of training camp and the preseason, I put together my final prediction, taking my best guess at what the Colts' 53-man will look like. But to get to that point, there were several difficult roster decisions that had to be made. These were the most difficult cuts.

Aug. 29, 2026, 3:54 p.m. ET Following the Indianapolis Colts' final preseason game, it's a quick turnaround for GM Chris Ballard, who must now whittle the roster down to 53 players by Sunday at 6:00 PM ET. Given what we've seen over the last month of practices and preseason action, here is one last projection of what the Colts' final roster will look like.

Aug. 29, 2026, 2:48 p.m. ET With Anthony Richardson starting the preseason finale against Detroit, Riley Leonard took over in the second quarter for the Indianapolis Colts. As of now, the backup quarterback role is still up for grabs. Let's take a closer look at Leonard's performance. Leonard completed just 3-of-7 passes for 48 yards, and he tossed an interception. That stat line, however, doesn't quite paint the entire picture.