WESTFIELD, Ind. -- As the pouring rain let up and the gray clouds began to part above the football fields at Grand Park, and the Colts' 2024 training camp came to a close, all eyes turned to the next time the Colts would get on a football field: Saturday's preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Colts' second game of the preseason will look markedly different from their first against the Denver Broncos, however, as head coach Shane Steichen confirmed after Thursday's practice that the starters, as well as backup quarterback Joe Flacco, would not be taking the field.
"They got the bulk of the work in these last two days," Steichen said, referring to the two joint practices against the Cardinals. "So the twos and threes will go."
Steichen opted for a similar strategy during the 2023 preseason, where the starters did not play in the Colts' second preseason game against the Chicago Bears.
But just because the starters won't be physically on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday, that doesn't mean they won't be there mentally.
"(I'm going to focus on) leadership and making sure I'm still tuned into the game," quarterback Anthony Richardson said. "Although I'm not playing, there's still things I can learn from just watching."
Saturday will be a time for young players, like Richardson, to absorb the game and take anything and everything they can from it. It will also be a time for the more veteran starters to impart more of their wisdom and advice on the players still working to prove themselves.
Michael Pittman Jr. did just that with Adonai Mitchell during the Colts' first preseason game, congratulating the rookie on getting his first catch "out of the way" and reminding him that every catch is a win.
"(I was) just kind of instilling confidence, just easing his nerves," Pittman said Wednesday. "Because obviously, going into his first game, he was nervous. And he got his first catch, so that was always a big thing for him. And just letting him know that he's good enough to win every single matchup."
The two wide receivers have quickly bonded since Mitchell was selected in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft; Mitchell looks up to Pittman as a mentor and a model for how to play the game, and Pittman has been happy to take the rookie under his wing.
Come Saturday night, Pittman and many other veterans will have the chance to watch their younger counterparts and pass on more encouragement and advice, just like they did last Sunday and as they have throughout training camp.
View the best photos from the first joint practice session with the Arizona Cardinals.
LB Zaire Franklin #44
LB Grant Stuard #41
LB E.J. Speed #45 and LB Zaire Franklin #44
TE Drew Ogletree #85
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
Reggie Wayne Wide Receivers
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11 and WR Alec Pierce #14
CB Kenny Moore II #23
LB Zaire Franklin #44
DT Taven Bryan #96
QB Anthony Richardson #5
RB Evan Hull #26
RB Evan Hull #26
CB Jaylon Jones #40
CB Dallis Flowers #21
CB Dallis Flowers #21
CB Dallis Flowers #21
WR Anthony Gould #6
QB Anthony Richardson #5
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
RB Evan Hull #26
QB Anthony Richardson #5
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
QB Anthony Richardson #5
TE Drew Ogletree #85
C Ryan Kelly #78
C Ryan Kelly #78
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
G Dalton Tucker #68
WR Derek Slywka #13
Reggie Wayne Wide Receivers and WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
Shane Steichen Head Coach
CB Dallis Flowers #21
LB E.J. Speed #45
QB Anthony Richardson #5
LB Austin Ajiake #58
CB Jaylon Jones #40
Gus Bradley Defensive Coordinator
CB Darrell Baker Jr. #39
DE Laiatu Latu #97
QB Anthony Richardson #5
Shane Steichen Head Coach
S Ronnie Harrison Jr. #48
CB Ameer Speed #37
DE Laiatu Latu #97
DE Laiatu Latu #97
DT DeForest Buckner #99 and DT Grover Stewart #90
CB Kenny Moore II #23
CB Jaylon Jones #40
CB Micah Abraham #33
S Julian Blackmon #32 and S Trevor Denbow #43
DT Taven Bryan #96
DT Eric Johnson II #93, DT DeForest Buckner #99 and DE Isaiah Land #55
CB Kenny Moore II #23
CB Micah Abraham #33
CB Dallis Flowers #21
S Michael Tutsie #38
CB Jaylin Simpson #30
LS Luke Rhodes #46
P Rigoberto Sanchez #8
LB Zaire Franklin #44 and CB Darrell Baker Jr. #39
CB JuJu Brents #29
CB JuJu Brents #29
7 WR Laquon Treadwell and 7 WR Laquon Treadwell
7 WR Laquon Treadwell
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
CB Jaylin Simpson #30
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
DT Jonah Laulu #74, DE Dayo Odeyingbo #54, DT DeForest Buckner #99, DE Laiatu Latu #97 and Charlie Partridge Defensive Line
QB Sam Ehlinger #4
QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Anthony Richardson #5
7 WR Laquon Treadwell
QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Anthony Richardson #5
LB Grant Stuard #41
LB Segun Olubi #50
S Rodney Thomas II #25
QB Anthony Richardson #5
DE Tyquan Lewis #94
QB Anthony Richardson #5 and C Ryan Kelly #78
C/G Will Fries #75, C Ryan Kelly #78, C Ryan Kelly #78, G Quenton Nelson #56 and T Bernhard Raimann #79
WR Alec Pierce #14
QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Anthony Richardson #5 and C Ryan Kelly #78
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
T Braden Smith #72
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
QB Joe Flacco #15
Shane Steichen Head Coach and QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Joe Flacco #15
G Josh Sills #65 and T Blake Freeland #73
T Braden Smith #72, C Danny Pinter #63 and G Quenton Nelson #56
DE Kwity Paye #51, DT DeForest Buckner #99, DT Grover Stewart #90 and DE Tyquan Lewis #94
LB Zaire Franklin #44
CB Kenny Moore II #23
S Marcel Dabo #42
LB Grant Stuard #41
CB Dallis Flowers #21
Robert Mathis
LB Austin Ajiake #58
Shane Steichen Head Coach
QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Anthony Richardson #5
WR Adonai Mitchell #10
QB Sam Ehlinger #4
QB Sam Ehlinger #4
QB Anthony Richardson #5
DT DeForest Buckner #99 and DT Grover Stewart #90
DT DeForest Buckner #99
DE Laiatu Latu #97
RB Evan Hull #26
QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Anthony Richardson #5
QB Anthony Richardson #5
DE Kwity Paye #51
DE Dayo Odeyingbo #54
DT Grover Stewart #90
RB Trey Sermon #27
S Julian Blackmon #32
CB JuJu Brents #29
CB JuJu Brents #29
LB Zaire Franklin #44
CB Clay Fields III #34, CB Dallis Flowers #21, CB Darrell Baker Jr. #39 and S Julian Blackmon #32
CB Darrell Baker Jr. #39 and S Julian Blackmon #32
S Julian Blackmon #32
CB JuJu Brents #29
CB Darrell Baker Jr. #39
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
QB Joe Flacco #15
WR Anthony Gould #6
WR Anthony Gould #6
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11 and Reggie Wayne Wide Receivers
WR Michael Pittman Jr. #11
Shane Steichen Head Coach
T Bernhard Raimann #79
RB Jonathan Taylor #28 and LB Segun Olubi #50
RB Jonathan Taylor #28 and LB Segun Olubi #50
RB Jonathan Taylor #28
