Anthony Richardson Sr.
Richardson requested a trade but remains on the Colts' roster with about two and a half weeks until the start of the team's voluntary offseason program.
General manager Chris Ballard said a scenario does exist in which Richardson, the 2023 No. 4 overall pick, stays on the Colts' roster in 2026. Richardson began the 2025 season as Daniel Jones' backup before sustaining a fractured orbital bone in a freak accident during pregame warmups in October. He returned to practice for a few weeks at the end of the 2025 season but was not activated off injured reserve.
"He's too talented, he's a good dude and he's talented," Ballard said. "I mean, I still want good for Anthony. I think he's got a lot in him, and he's had some freaking bad luck. But I still think Anthony, he's got a lot of ability and he's maturing and growing. He's still young."
Colts Owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon, too, said she's "proud" of how the 23-year-old Richardson handled himself through some truly difficult circumstances.
"He's been a good teammate," Irsay-Gordon said. "He's grown. He was so young. You know, I forget how many games he played before he came to us, but it wasn't very many. And, you know, just having another freak accident is high and dealing with these other injuries, but he's so immensely talented, and I feel like the world is his oyster. He totally has an opportunity to have a career in the NFL if he wants to."
As Jones works his way back from a torn Achilles', though, expect 2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard to take first-team reps during OTA practices later this spring. Leonard subbed in for an injured Jones in Week 14 and started the Colts' Week 18 season finale against the Houston Texans.
Justin Walley & Hunter Wohler
These two 2025 draft picks – Walley in the third round, Wohler in the seventh round – came up quite a bit at the Biltmore despite neither playing a snap for the Colts as rookies.
Walley was in line to start at outside cornerback opposite Charvarius Ward Sr., while Wohler was working toward being Nick Cross' backup at safety during training camp (Cross has since signed with the Washington Commanders as a free agent). Walley sustained a torn ACL during a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens, while Wohler sustained a Lisfranc (foot) injury in a preseason game. Both were placed on injured reserve in August, ending their seasons before they could begin.
But when I asked Irsay-Gordon about the outlook for the 2026 Colts, Wohler and Walley were among the first players she mentioned.
"It's heartbreaking for guys, especially their rookie year – the first few years for their development are so important, and you always feel bad for guys like that," Irsay-Gordon said. "They don't want to fall behind and miss the opportunity to develop. But I think they've taken it in stride, and they've actually – I don't know if they would have become friends or not, but I feel like they're like best buddies now because they were like the two 'gimpy gimpersens.'"
Steichen, too, said he's looking forward to Walley and Wohler's respective returns not only because of how they turned heads last training camp, but for the dedication both players had to grind through the rehab process.
"It's the way they've been working," Steichen said. "Both those guys, even this offseason, have been in there rehabbing every day that they're in that office for six hours a day. Just their mindset, their demeanor, talking to them, I know they're excited to get back at it and to see the glimpses and the flashes that they had before the injuries in training camp last year. Excited to get those guys back."
Spencer Shrader, Blake Grupe and a looming kicking battle
The Colts will have a rare version of a kicking competition this summer between Shrader and Grupe. Most kicking competitions pit inexperienced or struggling kickers against each other; Shrader and Grupe both had remarkable success during the five games each played with the Colts in 2025.
Shrader was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month in September and connected on 13 of 14 field goals – including a walk-off 45-yarder against the Denver Broncos in Week 2 – and all 14 PAT attempts. He sustained a season-ending knee injury when he was run into on a PAT in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Grupe joined the Colts for the final five games of the season after veteran Michael Badgley, who initially replaced Shrader, was cut. He knocked in all 11 of his field goal attempts and all 10 PATs, with his tenure highlighted by a franchise record 60-yard field goal that briefly put the Colts ahead of the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks late in Week 15.
The Colts re-signed Grupe in March and expect Shrader back, setting up a difficult-to-project training camp competition this summer.
"Spencer's rehabbing well and obviously getting Grupe back will be big for us," Steichen said. "And so we'll go through that process in training camp, let those guys kick and see where it goes."
