QUARTERBACKS (3): Sam Ehlinger, Joe Flacco, Anthony Richardson

There was a bit of a twist this week when NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the NFLPA rejected the NFL's new emergency third quarterback rule, which would've allowed teams to elevate an emergency quarterback from the practice squad on gamedays. So for 2024, the old rule remains in place, which stipulates a quarterback must be on a team's 53-man roster to be designated a gameday emergency third quarterback but not count against the active roster limit.

The Colts may have still kept Ehlinger on their 53-man roster anyway, as he would've been exposed to waivers otherwise. Either way, Ehlinger – who turned in another strong preseason – earned his way on to the Colts' roster for the fourth consecutive year.

RUNNING BACKS (3): Tyler Goodson, Trey Sermon, Jonathan Taylor

Goodson put together a strong training camp and preseason (26 carries, 107 yards, 2 touchdowns) to earn a spot on the Colts' roster. Sermon sustained a hamstring injury earlier in the preseason, but head coach Shane Steichen said this weekend the running back will return to practice "hopefully next week."

WIDE RECEIVERS (6): Josh Downs, Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould, Adonai Mitchell, Alec Pierce, Michael Pittman Jr.

Steichen said Sunday Downs is "progressing well" from the ankle injury he sustained in training camp. While Steichen didn't put a firm timetable on the second-year receiver's return, he said "the hope" is to have Downs available for Week 1.

Dulin returns after missing the 2023 season with a torn ACL, providing key depth on offense and consistent play across Brian Mason's special teams units. Gould, the fifth-round rookie, will be in the mix as a kick and/or punt returner while offering some juice on offense.

TIGHT ENDS (4): Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Will Mallory, Drew Ogletree

The Colts placed tight end Jelani Woods on season-ending injured reserve on Tuesday. Woods sustained a toe injury in the Colts' second preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, with Steichen saying the tight end will miss "some time." Alie-Cox, Granson, Mallory and Ogletree all return from the 2023 Colts:

OFFENSIVE LINE (10): Tanor Bortolini, Blake Freeland, Will Fries, Matt Goncalves, Ryan Kelly, Quenton Nelson, Danny Pinter, Bernhard Raimann, Braden Smith, Dalton Tucker

The Colts' depth behind their starting five (Fries, Kelly, Nelson, Raimann, Smith) will be largely be young – while Pinter is entering his fifth year in the NFL, Freeland is in Year 2 and Bortolini, Goncalves and Tucker are all rookies. Tucker, notably, was the only undrafted rookie to earn his way on to the Colts' 53-man roster after a strong training camp at both right and left guard.

DEFENSIVE LINE (10): Adetomiwa Adebawore, Taven Bryan, DeForest Buckner, Raekwon Davis, Isaiah Land, Laiatu Latu, Tyquan Lewis, Dayo Odeyingbo, Kwity Paye, Grover Stewart

Even with Samson Ebukam (Achilles) being placed on injured reserve Tuesday, the Colts enter the 2024 season with top-end talent and strong depth at defensive end. Latu had a standout preseason, while Lewis, Odeyingbo and Paye were both disruptive and productive. And Land, a 2023 waiver claim, flashed athleticism and speed off the edge at times during training camp. Defensive tackle, too, looks deep behind starters Buckner and Stewart: Davis, a free agent signing in March, returned to practice last week, while Adebawore consistently showed encouraging signs during training camp and preseason games.

LINEBACKERS (5): Jaylon Carlies, Zaire Franklin, Segun Olubi, E.J. Speed, Grant Stuard

Behind entrenched starters Franklin and Speed, the Colts have some encouraging depth: Carlies, the fifth-round rookie from Mizzou, had some splash moments during training camp and took snaps with the first-team defense as a third linebacker in last week's final preseason game. Olubi, meanwhile, has positional versatility but importantly can step in as the backup MIKE linebacker, as he did with an interception in the Colts' Week 9 win over the Carolina Panthers last season. Stuard is one of the Colts' most trusted special teams players.

CORNERBACKS (5): Darrell Baker Jr., JuJu Brents, Dallis Flowers, Jaylon Jones, Kenny Moore II

Both the cornerbacks the Colts drafted in 2024 – Jaylin Simpson (fifth round) and Micah Abraham (sixth round) – did not make the initial 53-man roster. Baker, who started seven games and appeared in seven others for the Colts in 2023, made the cut; Brents, who sustained a nose injury in the Colts' second preseason game, could be on track to return to practice for Week 1, Steichen said.

SAFETIES (4): Julian Blackmon, Nick Cross, Trevor Denbow, Rodney Thomas II

The Colts released veteran Ronnie Harrison Jr. on Sunday, signaling these four would be the safeties on the initial 53-man roster. Cross played every snap with the Colts' first-team defense in both their preseason games, lining up at free safety with Blackmon at strong safety; Cross also played strong safety when Blackmon wasn't on the field.

Thomas provides depth on defense and special teams here, while Denbow played the third-most special teams snaps of any Colts player in 2023.

SPECIALISTS (3): PK Matt Gay, LS Luke Rhodes, P Rigoberto Sanchez

No surprises here. Steichen and the Colts remain confident in Gay's ability to deliver critical kicks in the regular season after the veteran missed three of his four field goal attempts in preseason play (he made all five of his PATs).