The Indianapolis Colts' 2026 season is all but over, and the organization needs to start looking ahead.
With the playoffs no longer a realistic expectation, the rest of the remaining schedule should focus on evaluating the roster and determining which players deserve a role beyond this season.
Rather than continuing to rely on the same personnel, Indianapolis should use this stretch to explore its options and give more opportunities to players who could factor into the team's future. There is little reason to leave potential answers on the sideline when the Colts have so many questions to address.
Here are three Colts who should see more playing time for the remainder of the season.
CJ Allen
As the Colts use the rest of the season to parse through their roster and identify pieces they can build around for the future, CJ Allen will be one of those players.
The Colts’ top draft choice from a year ago has found playing time hard to come by thus far in his rookie season as the Colts have opted to play more experienced veterans instead.
Allen's 46 snaps through six games are the least among all Colts linebackers, and there's almost no reason not to increase his workload.
But the season is basically a wash at this point, and Indianapolis may as well give Allen an extended run to see if he’s truly someone they can lean on moving forward, or if he’ll have to find a new NFL home when the housecleaning inevitably begins.
Will Mallory
Will Mallory made his season debut on Sunday after spending the first five weeks on injured reserve. While filling in for the injured Tyler Warren, it was immediately apparent that Mallory could be a contributor on the Colts offense moving forward.
Mallory caught only two passes for 20 yards, but was targeted six times, third-most on the team and the most of any non-wide receiver. So clearly, Daniel Jones knows he can trust Mallory in the passing game.
As the season moves along, look for Mallory to be more involved in the passing attack, even when Warren is back healthy. As Indianapolis uses the remaining schedule to evaluate its roster before entering a rebuilding phase, Mallory is likely to stand out as a player they can count on going into the reset.
Anthony Richardson Sr.
Daniel Jones has not been good enough to keep the Colts from reconsidering their quarterback situation.
With the previous regime gone and the season slipping away, there is no better time to see what Anthony Richardson can do for the Colts. Richardson had lost the faith of the coaching staff during the 2024 season, but there’s virtually zero reason to not let him loose at some point in 2026.
Even if Richardson stinks it up, the Colts can move into the offseason with the knowledge that their search for a franchise quarterback continues. But, if Richardson shows significant improvement and promise, then Indianapolis may elect to extend his leash a little bit and see what he can do in a full season next year.
Playing Richardson at some point is a no-brainer. Jones clearly is a shell of his 2025 self and the Colts season is all but lost.
But there’s nothing to lose by giving Richardson a shot.
Add us as a preferred source on Google