Colts Make Final Cuts, Form 53-Man Roster
- Colts keep 4 QBs, with uncertainty around Week 1 backup and 3rd emergency QB.
- Colts add center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger via trade, addressing snapping issues in preseason.
- Undrafted LB Tahj Chambers makes the team, likely as a special teams contributor.
Colts Make Final Cuts, Form 53-Man Roster
INDIANAPOLIS – The cuts have been made.
Just one day following their preseason finale, the Colts had to make the mandatory cut from 90 to 53.
Here’s the Colts (first) 53-man roster of the 2026 season.
Quarterbacks (4/3): Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard, Anthony Richardson Sr., Easton Stick
Bowen’s Analysis: Yes, Anthony Richardson Sr. has made it through the preseason still on the Colts roster. The Colts keep the 3 QBs you’d expect. Now, the question becomes who is the Week 1 backup, and who is the 3rd emergency QB.
Running Backs (5/3) Ulysses Bentley IV, Anderson Castle*, DJ Giddens, Seth McGowan*, Jonathan Taylor
Bowen’s Analysis: I was super torn on how to round out the final running back spot. The Colts go with a former draft pick in Giddens over the former undrafted free agent in Bentley IV. Don’t see much role for Giddens though, given he didn’t play a single special teams snap in his 9 games dressing last season.
Wide Receivers (14/6) Keenan Allen, Deion Burks*, Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould, Sahmir Hagans*, D.J. Montgomery, Ben Nikkel, Coleman Owen, Eli Pancol, Alec Pierce, Raylen Sharpe*, Laquon Treadwell, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
Bowen’s Analysis: The 6th spot was one the Colts heavily debated. They end up going with Burks, keeping every single draft pick from this past April. How the Colts handle punt return duties to start the season will be interesting. Remember, Owen got hurt in the preseason finale and he is now on injured reserve with a concussion. Gould, a 2024 5th round pick, gets cut for the first time.
Tight Ends (6/3): Pharoah Brown, Mo Alie-Cox, JJ Gallbreth, Will Mallory, Tyler Moore, Drew Ogletree, Tyler Warren
Bowen’s Analysis: The Colts are getting a roster spot here by placing Mallory on injured reserve to return. That means he must miss four games due to his right thumb injury. So that’s something to monitor once October rolls around.
Offensive Line (16/9): Tanor Bortolini, Jalen Farmer*, Blake Freeland, Matt Goncalves, Josh Kreutz*, Roy Mbaeteka, Jimmy Morrissey, Quenton Nelson, Bernard Raimann, Nolan Rucci*, Josh Sills, Luke Tenuta, Jalen Travis, Dalton Tucker, Geno VanDeMark*, Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, Trey Wedig
Bowen’s Analysis: The Colts had to explore the waiver wire here. And they did that on Sunday morning by swapping with Buffalo a 6th round pick in 2027 for a 7th round pick in 2027 for center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger. The snapping from the backup O-line units this preseason was an abomination. A move had to be done. Pran-Granger is a natural center, having started a game in each of the last two seasons. He is a 2024 5th round pick and was a 3-year starter at Georgia. At tackle, it was Luke Tenuta making it over former draft pick Blake Freeland. I think Matt Goncalves has to be viewed as the “backup” tackle if an injury were to occur though to Travis or Raimann.
Defensive Line (16/11): Adetomiwa Adebawore, Cameron Ball*, DeForest Buckner, Micheal Clemons, Caden Curry*, George Gumbs Jr.*, Adren Key, Laiatu Latu, Mitchell Melton*, Durell Nchami, Derrick Nnadi, Tim Smith, Grover Stewart, Jerry Tillery, Jaylahn Tuimoloau, Colby Wooden
Bowen’s Analysis: I would say the biggest surprise in roster cuts ’26 edition is the team cutting Colby Wooden, a 16-game starter last year in Green Bay, and the spring trade return for Zaire Franklin. Obviously, this move is rooted in the Colts feeling better about DeForest Bucker coming off his neck surgery, but the team was still very intrigued about the versatility Wooden would add up front. Wooden was cut in favor of veteran Jerry Tillery. To some, 11 is a huge number. Not to Chris Ballard. The Colts did keep more of a true nose tackle backup in former draft pick Tim Smith beating out veteran Derrick Nnadi.
Linebackers (8/6): Austin Ajiake, CJ Allen*, Bryce Boettcher*, Jaylon Carlies, Tahj Chambers*, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Devin Veresuk, West Weeks*
Bowen’s Analysis: An undrafted free agent makes the team! It’s Tahj Chambers out of Ole Miss, who probably is viewed as a special teamer.
Cornerbacks (9/6): Rob Carter Jr. Johnathan Edwards, Sauce Gardner, Kenneth Harris*, Jaylon Jones, Mekhi Rodgers, Cam Taylor-Britt, Justin Walley, Charvarius Ward Sr.
Bowen’s Analysis: Remember for one week, the Colts won’t have to carry Taylor-Britt on the 53-man roster as he serves his one-game suspension to start the season. But he’s a definite roster guy after that. So what does that mean for Jaylon Jones, a Gus Bradley draft pick who hangs around to start the season?
Safeties (8/4): Austin Brown, Cam Bynum, A.J. Haulcy*, Jonathan Owens, Daniel Scott, Juanyeh Thomas, Trey Washington, Hunter Wohler
Bowen’s Analysis: A 6th cornerback and/or a 5th safety was a debate for me. The Colts are going with 4 safeties. Haulcy has missed around a week due to an ankle issue.
Specialists (4/3): LS-Luke Rhodes, P-Rigoberto Sanchez, K-Spencer Shrader, K-Blake Grupe
Bowen’s Analysis: The Colts are bullish on Shrader’s long-term potential across 17 games, and his massive leg. The Colts were unable to nab anything on the trade market for Grupe, as he was waived.
