Freethinker
Hall of Famer
The Colts were a CF favorite last year and were having a great season at 8-2 before Daniel Jones was hurt. After the injury, the Colts went 0-7 the rest of the way, finishing 8-9 — becoming the first team in NFL history to finish with a losing record after starting 8-2. Ouch. The Colts, if they keep their White athletes healthy, should again be one of the best squads to follow. Let's jump in.
Total White Athletes on Roster (Starters in bold)
17 Whites total, with 7 starters. Grade: D
[With Current Injuries: 15 Whites total, 6 starters]
QB - Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard
WR - Alec Pierce (IR)
TE - Tyler Warren, Will Mallory (IR)
LT - Bernhard Raimann
LG - Quenton Nelson, Dalton Tucker
C - Tanor Bortolini
RG - Matt Goncalves
RT - Luke Tenuta
DE - Caden Curry
WLB - Bryce Boettcher
SS - Hunter Wohler
NB - Gushiken Kapena (Not counting him but could be considered a Caste Buster as a Native Hawaiian / Japanese playing CB)
K - Spencer Schrader
P - Rigoberto Sanchez (Castizo?)
LS - Luke Rhodes
IR - Carson Towt (TE)
PS - Reid Holskey (OT), Nolan Rucci (OT), Josh Sills (G), West Weeks (LB), Daniel Scott (S)
Well if and when the get their short term IR players back, they pretty much hold form from last year. Decrease in offensive lineman but an increase in defensive players. I'll take it!
Daniel Jones delivered a stunning 2025 renaissance with the Colts, leading to the aforementioned excellent start with career-high efficiency (68% completion, 8.1 yards/attempt) before a broken fibula and then a torn Achilles in back-to-back weeks ended his season, sending Indianapolis' season down the crapper. Much of that early magic ran through Alec Pierce, who broke out alongside him with the first 1,000-yard season of his career (47 catches, 1,003 yards, 6 TDs) and led the NFL in yards per reception for a second straight year — production that made him Jones' favorite downfield target and earned him a four-year, $114 million extension in March 2026.
Both re-signed with big expectations for 2026, but the season has opened rockier than anyone hoped. Jones, fully healthy, has started 1-2 with just 611 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs, and an 80.8 passer rating. Pierce, meanwhile, needed offseason heel surgery that cost him camp, then re-aggravated the same injury in Week 2 and landed on IR after managing only 5 catches for 72 yards. With Pierce sidelined, Jones has lost his most explosive weapon — and the two players' fortunes now look tightly linked: Indianapolis' offense, and Jones' own statistical bounce-back, likely hinge on how fully Pierce can return to the form that made last year's hot start possible.
That leads to young, potential star tight end Tyler Warren as the candidate needed to step up and fill the reception void. So far he'd done so, with 18 catches for 2 TDs but with modest yardage. So he's not replacing the vertical threat lost by Pierce, at least not yet. Warren had an impressive 817 yards as a rookie and would have a good shot at his first thousand yard season if he can break off some longer catches in the coming weeks with the target volume he will receive.
The offensive line is no longer a snowplow, with Braden Smith departing via free agency. 4 out of 5 White is still great, but the diminishing depth is a cause for concern for future seasons. Indianapolis enters 2026 with a line built around two anchors. Quenton Nelson remains the unquestioned centerpiece at left guard — a seven-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer who's been one of the league's most dominant interior blockers for nearly a decade. Bernhard Raimann protects the blind side off a four-year, $100 million extension, backed up by legitimately elite 2024 tape and a very above average 2025 season. I'd put him on the short list of top NFL tackles. Bortolini and Goncalves have performed admirably at their positions by all accounts. Offensive line should be a strength of the team once more.
Defense actually has some overachievers playing this season. Bryce Boettcher, drafted 135th overall out of Oregon (Second-Team All-Big Ten, Burlsworth Trophy winner as the nation's top former walk-on), has quickly carved out a real role for the Colts, leaning on the smooth coverage ability and sharp pre-snap communication that made him a standout linebacker in college. Through 3 games in 2026, he's totaled 13-14 tackles (4 solo, 9-10 assisted), highlighted by a 7-tackle effort in Week 1 against Baltimore. He's yet to start a game (28-34% of defensive snaps), but his reliable tackling and coverage instincts give him a genuine path to expanded playing time on a Colts defense that's struggled significantly as a unit, ranking near the bottom of the league in total yards allowed.
After his Lisfranc foot injury wiped out his entire 2025 rookie season, Hunter Wohler is back and active for the Colts. He's gotten to play early in the season, recording a 7-tackle effort in Indianapolis' Week 2 game against Kansas City. Given the athletic tools and versatility that made him a standout at Wisconsin (86.9 overall PFF defensive grade, 9.55 Relative Athletic Score), his return gives the Colts depth and a player to develop going forward. 53% and 31% of defensive snaps in the last 2 weeks is a positive sign.
The final defender is Caden Curry, a Greenwood, Indiana native who grew up attending games at Lucas Oil Stadium, had a breakout senior season at Ohio State in 2025 — leading the Buckeyes in both sacks (11) and tackles for loss (16.5), including an 11-tackle, 5-TFL, 3-sack performance against Washington that earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. He finished his college career with 111 tackles, 15.5 sacks, and First-team All-Big Ten recognition, notably outproducing teammate Arvell Reese (a top-5 overall pick) at the position. Unlike Reese, Curry had to wait until the Colts selected him with their 6th-round pick (214th overall) in the 2026 draft. Gee whiz, isn't it funny how it always seems to work out that way? However, don't expect the goy-brained DWFs to start noticing the pattern. Anyways, the team has praised his versatility to line up both inside and on the edge. Hopefully he ends up being a huge steal for him and has a better career than Reese.
I'll be rooting for the Colts to tread water until Pierce returns and then hit high gear again. I'm also hoping the leaky defense will improve as the Colts winning the AFC South would be the best outcome for CF followers.
Total White Athletes on Roster (Starters in bold)
17 Whites total, with 7 starters. Grade: D
[With Current Injuries: 15 Whites total, 6 starters]
QB - Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard
WR - Alec Pierce (IR)
TE - Tyler Warren, Will Mallory (IR)
LT - Bernhard Raimann
LG - Quenton Nelson, Dalton Tucker
C - Tanor Bortolini
RG - Matt Goncalves
RT - Luke Tenuta
DE - Caden Curry
WLB - Bryce Boettcher
SS - Hunter Wohler
NB - Gushiken Kapena (Not counting him but could be considered a Caste Buster as a Native Hawaiian / Japanese playing CB)
K - Spencer Schrader
P - Rigoberto Sanchez (Castizo?)
LS - Luke Rhodes
IR - Carson Towt (TE)
PS - Reid Holskey (OT), Nolan Rucci (OT), Josh Sills (G), West Weeks (LB), Daniel Scott (S)
Well if and when the get their short term IR players back, they pretty much hold form from last year. Decrease in offensive lineman but an increase in defensive players. I'll take it!
Daniel Jones delivered a stunning 2025 renaissance with the Colts, leading to the aforementioned excellent start with career-high efficiency (68% completion, 8.1 yards/attempt) before a broken fibula and then a torn Achilles in back-to-back weeks ended his season, sending Indianapolis' season down the crapper. Much of that early magic ran through Alec Pierce, who broke out alongside him with the first 1,000-yard season of his career (47 catches, 1,003 yards, 6 TDs) and led the NFL in yards per reception for a second straight year — production that made him Jones' favorite downfield target and earned him a four-year, $114 million extension in March 2026.
Both re-signed with big expectations for 2026, but the season has opened rockier than anyone hoped. Jones, fully healthy, has started 1-2 with just 611 yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs, and an 80.8 passer rating. Pierce, meanwhile, needed offseason heel surgery that cost him camp, then re-aggravated the same injury in Week 2 and landed on IR after managing only 5 catches for 72 yards. With Pierce sidelined, Jones has lost his most explosive weapon — and the two players' fortunes now look tightly linked: Indianapolis' offense, and Jones' own statistical bounce-back, likely hinge on how fully Pierce can return to the form that made last year's hot start possible.
That leads to young, potential star tight end Tyler Warren as the candidate needed to step up and fill the reception void. So far he'd done so, with 18 catches for 2 TDs but with modest yardage. So he's not replacing the vertical threat lost by Pierce, at least not yet. Warren had an impressive 817 yards as a rookie and would have a good shot at his first thousand yard season if he can break off some longer catches in the coming weeks with the target volume he will receive.
The offensive line is no longer a snowplow, with Braden Smith departing via free agency. 4 out of 5 White is still great, but the diminishing depth is a cause for concern for future seasons. Indianapolis enters 2026 with a line built around two anchors. Quenton Nelson remains the unquestioned centerpiece at left guard — a seven-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer who's been one of the league's most dominant interior blockers for nearly a decade. Bernhard Raimann protects the blind side off a four-year, $100 million extension, backed up by legitimately elite 2024 tape and a very above average 2025 season. I'd put him on the short list of top NFL tackles. Bortolini and Goncalves have performed admirably at their positions by all accounts. Offensive line should be a strength of the team once more.
Defense actually has some overachievers playing this season. Bryce Boettcher, drafted 135th overall out of Oregon (Second-Team All-Big Ten, Burlsworth Trophy winner as the nation's top former walk-on), has quickly carved out a real role for the Colts, leaning on the smooth coverage ability and sharp pre-snap communication that made him a standout linebacker in college. Through 3 games in 2026, he's totaled 13-14 tackles (4 solo, 9-10 assisted), highlighted by a 7-tackle effort in Week 1 against Baltimore. He's yet to start a game (28-34% of defensive snaps), but his reliable tackling and coverage instincts give him a genuine path to expanded playing time on a Colts defense that's struggled significantly as a unit, ranking near the bottom of the league in total yards allowed.
After his Lisfranc foot injury wiped out his entire 2025 rookie season, Hunter Wohler is back and active for the Colts. He's gotten to play early in the season, recording a 7-tackle effort in Indianapolis' Week 2 game against Kansas City. Given the athletic tools and versatility that made him a standout at Wisconsin (86.9 overall PFF defensive grade, 9.55 Relative Athletic Score), his return gives the Colts depth and a player to develop going forward. 53% and 31% of defensive snaps in the last 2 weeks is a positive sign.
The final defender is Caden Curry, a Greenwood, Indiana native who grew up attending games at Lucas Oil Stadium, had a breakout senior season at Ohio State in 2025 — leading the Buckeyes in both sacks (11) and tackles for loss (16.5), including an 11-tackle, 5-TFL, 3-sack performance against Washington that earned him Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. He finished his college career with 111 tackles, 15.5 sacks, and First-team All-Big Ten recognition, notably outproducing teammate Arvell Reese (a top-5 overall pick) at the position. Unlike Reese, Curry had to wait until the Colts selected him with their 6th-round pick (214th overall) in the 2026 draft. Gee whiz, isn't it funny how it always seems to work out that way? However, don't expect the goy-brained DWFs to start noticing the pattern. Anyways, the team has praised his versatility to line up both inside and on the edge. Hopefully he ends up being a huge steal for him and has a better career than Reese.
I'll be rooting for the Colts to tread water until Pierce returns and then hit high gear again. I'm also hoping the leaky defense will improve as the Colts winning the AFC South would be the best outcome for CF followers.