5 things to watch for during the Colts' preseason opener
The Colts' 2023 season will get underway today at 1 pm eastern standard time against the Buffalo Bills. After an offseason full of changes, there is a lot to be watching for when the Colts kick off their season this afternoon. 5 things to watch: The Return of Damar Hamlin Some things are bigger than […]
The Colts' 2023 season will get underway today at 1 pm eastern standard time against the Buffalo Bills.
After an offseason full of changes, there is a lot to be watching for when the Colts kick off their season this afternoon.
5 things to watch:
The Return of Damar Hamlin
Some things are bigger than football, and the Colts' preseason opener will be an example of this. As Buffalo Bills' Damar Hamlin will return to NFL action for the 1st time since DB went into cardiac arrest during Monday Night Football in Cincinnati, Ohio, on January 3rd.
It will be an awe-filled moment when Hamlin jogs onto the field for his 1st live snaps since the incident. And while it will be a special moment for all to witness, two Colts will be especially emotional.
Isaiah McKenzie signed with the Colts as a free agent this off-season. But before repping the horseshoe, McKenzie was a member of the Buffalo Bills. He was a teammate with Damar Hamlin and on the sideline during the terrifying events of January 3rd. McKenzie spoke with Colts.com's JJ Stankevitz about the possibility of Hamlin being back on the field this week, and he had this to say "I hope so. I hope it goes well for him. I know the Bills, they love him, and I love him as a person and as a player."
Colts' 2nd-year safety Rodney Thomas II has never been an NFL teammate of Hamlin's, but their relationship goes back even further. Thomas and Hamlin were high school teammates at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, PA. To this day, the two have a very strong bond and train together in the offseason. Thomas II got the chance to honor Hamlin last season after an interception.
Thomas II also sat down with Colts.com's JJ Stankevitz got to share his thoughts on Hamlin's potential return by saying, "From the beginning since it happened, it's exactly what I expected, him back on the field doing what he loves, flying around making plays."
Shaquille Leonard returns to action
It's been a long road back for Colts LB Shaquille Leonard, but the end is finally in sight, as Larra Overton of the Colts posted an update this morning.
It may not be a full game of action for Leonard, but his workload through training camp has been much larger than most expected. So seeing him get out there today is really good progress towards the LB being ready to go for the regular season.
The State of the RB Room
The Colts’ RB room has had an eventful training camp to say the least. Star RB Jonathan Taylor remains on the PUP list as well as his trade request from the team going public. And to make it worse for the team, primary backup Zach Moss broke his arm during practice. The Colts have added veteran Kenyan Drake since, and also worked out free agent Kareem Hunt, but weren’t able to come to an agreement.
Heading into today's preseason opener, the team is going with the next man-up mantra. And if camp this past week tells us anything, that player is rookie Evan Hull. Since Moss went down, Hull and Deon Jackson have split time with the starters. But Jackson also found himself on the injury report this week and likely won't be suiting up today. This means it is the Evan Hull show today, and fans should be very interested in how he does.
Hull's ability in the passing game was evident on his college film, but since training camp began, his ability as a runner has shined. We shall see how long the starters remain on the field today, but Evan Hull's performance is a very important element to watch.
How will the young CB room perform?
Colts GM Chris Ballard shared with media that the team made the choice to go young in the CB room after last season ended. And he succeed in that notion as they added three rookies to the room and will have two new starters in the position.
Training camp star Darrell Baker Jr. is listed as one of the teams' starters as well as 2nd-year Dallis Flowers, and right behind them on the depth chart are rookies Juju Brents and Darius Rush.
All eyes will be on this room for the rest of training camp as well as the preseason opener today. As the competition for both outside starting spots are up for grabs as well as multiple roster spots.
Anthony Richardson’s NFL Debut
The Colts' offseason has been full of storylines, but none bigger than the selection of QB Anthony Richardson with the 4th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. Since being drafted, Richardson's work ethic has impressed many in the team building. And the ongoing battle for the starting QB job with veteran Gardner Minshew is still undecided. The first big decision came this week when head coach Shane Steichen announced Richardson as the team's starter for the preseason opener.
It hasn't been said how long Richardson and the starters will play today, but all eyes will be on how the rookie performs against NFL competition. Richardson has had multiple jaw-dropping plays during training camp so far, and if he can do so in live game action, he could start to separate himself in the battle to be the Colts' week 1 starter this season.
If you are not able to watch the game today, make sure and follow myself on Twitter (X), as I will be posting live game coverage from the opening kickoff till the final whistle.
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