FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Between this week and next week, the Colts will go through three joint practices and two preseason games, representing a major opportunity for several players looking to carve out prominent roles and/or roster spots.
And on Thursday, a "slew" of starters will not play against the New England Patriots, head coach Shane Steichen said. So that'll open up plenty of snaps for a handful of guys, including these five to keep an eye on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium:
Quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr.: Richardson will start and play the entire first half; Riley Leonard will start and play the first half of the Colts' second preseason game. Richardson hasn't had an extended opportunity to play in a game since the 2025 preseason. How he performs on Thursday will be an instructive data point in the Colts' backup quarterback competition.
Running back Seth McGowan: The seventh-round pick from Kentucky has had some strong moments in practice over the last week or so, but two things will stand out Thursday. First: McGowan is a powerful runner, but in practice, he's not getting tackled – so how adept he is at breaking tackles and keeping his feet moving in a pile will be interesting to watch against the Patriots. Second: McGowan's work in pass protection – even if the Patriots only deploy vanilla, basic blitzes – will be a notable learning moment. The most difficult transition for a rookie running back often is in pass protection, and the more reps he gets at it, the more prepared he'll be.
Offensive lineman Dalton Tucker: There's a reason why the first position general manager Chris Ballard highlighted at the start of training camp was backup center. The Colts have had good depth at center for the last few years thanks to the presence of veteran Danny Pinter, but with Pinter signing with the Baltimore Ravens in the offseason, there's a need for someone to step up here. Tucker has worked in at center a bit after playing guard his first two years in the NFL, and if he gets some run there against the Patriots, his play will be important to watch with an eye on solidifying a backstop to starter Tanor Bortolini.
Linebacker Bryce Boettcher: As the Colts have heavily rotated a group of six linebackers with the first-team defense, Boettcher has flashed a handful of times as a blitzer, with the Oregon product showing burst and a good feel for space to get into the backfield. For Boettcher – and every other linebacker who plays – live tackling will be an important data point as defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo works to figure out his primary linebacker pairing, and then who he could use situationally there.
Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon: If the Colts need to dip into their cornerback depth in Week 1, Blackmon may be the guy with veteran Cam Taylor-Britt, who's had a strong camp, suspended for the season opener. And with Steichen opting to not play several starters, look for Blackmon and Johnathan Edwards to get plenty of snaps at cornerback on Thursday night. Blackmon had to play quite a bit in 2025 – he appeared in all 17 games and started 11 contests – after being acquired from the Minnesota Vikings on cut-down day; he also didn't play in 2024 due to injury. Having a full, healthy offseason and training camp with the Colts could benefit him – and help deepen Lou Anarumo's secondary, too.
