The pads aren't on yet. The grass at the Grand Park Sports Campus is still green and the June sun still sits high, but Tuesday marked something real.
Mandatory veteran minicamp opened for the Indianapolis Colts, and with it came the first true look at where key players stand physically after an offseason of rehab, recovery, and roster reshaping. Head coach Shane Steichen addressed the media and delivered updates on four players whose availability could shape the entire trajectory of the 2026 season.
The most important name in that group was Anthony Richardson Sr.
The former fourth-overall pick, now entering what feels like a crossroads season, is still on a rehab program. Steichen confirmed that Richardson will be held out of team drills "for obviously this week and next week," per the coach. That places Richardson's full on-field work somewhere into training camp, which opens next month.
"He's making great progress," Steichen said. "He's worked tremendously hard this offseason."
Richardson played only two games in 2025, attempting just two passes. His season was derailed early by an injury that kept him on the sideline while Daniel Jones took over and threw for 3,101 yards and 19 touchdowns across 13 starts. Jones is still on the roster, joined now by Riley Leonard, who saw action in five games last season. The Colts have options at quarterback, but Richardson remains the most intriguing variable.
The question was never about his physical talent. It was about whether that talent could stay on the field long enough to matter. Steichen's language about Richardson has been consistent: patient, measured, careful. He isn't rushing Richardson back. He isn't declaring a starter. He's letting the rehab run its course.
That is the right move, and it is also a revealing one. A team that viewed Richardson as its definitive future might push him into 11-on-11 work at minicamp. The Colts are not doing that. They are building depth. They are protecting their asset. And they are keeping the door open for a healthy competition come July.
Steichen offered updates on three other players whose names carry weight inside the building.
Drew Ogletree, the tight end who has carved out a role as a blocker and occasional pass catcher, is progressing through his own rehab. Steichen said Ogletree is "doing his rehab program," confirming that for now the tight end remains sidelined. Ogletree grabbed four catches for 27 yards and a touchdown in 15 games last season. His value is less about counting stats and more about his place in the run game scheme, where Steichen relies on tight ends to set edges and create lanes.
The coach also mentioned two receivers when discussing the competition at the position. "Dylan's made some good plays. Tread's made some good plays," Steichen said, referencing Ashton Dulin and Laquon Treadwell. Dulin caught five passes for 106 yards in 12 games last season, serving as a situational deep threat and special teams contributor. Treadwell, a veteran who has bounced across the league, is working to carve out a role in a crowded receiver room.
Josh Downs returns after a 58-catch, 566-yard season with four touchdowns. Alec Pierce broke 1,000 yards receiving for the first time in 2025, hauling in 47 catches for 1,003 yards and six scores. The receiver room is competitive, and snaps will be earned.
What Steichen is doing at this minicamp is no different from what 31 other coaches are doing: evaluating, conditioning, setting the table. But the tone matters. The way he spoke about Richardson's absence from team drills, the way he framed Ogletree's rehabilitation, the way he casually noted that Dulin and Treadwell have made plays -- none of it felt urgent. It felt deliberate.
That is the luxury of June. Training camp is still a month away. Preseason games are seven weeks out. The regular season opener in September feels like an eternity. But the foundation for that opener is being laid right now, in these voluntary-then-mandatory practices where the stakes are low but the information is real.
Steichen referenced the need to evolve offensively. He talked about finding ways to get the football to his playmakers, mentioning that "it's hard to take him off the field when he's running so good," a line that could apply to Jonathan Taylor. The All-Pro running back rushed for 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns last season while adding 378 receiving yards. He is the engine. Everyone else is a complementary piece.
But the engine needs a driver. And the driver's health is the single most important variable in the Colts' 2026 outlook.
Richardson will get his chance. That has never been in doubt. The question is whether that chance will arrive in Week 1, Week 4, or sometime after the bye. Steichen is not rushing the answer. He is letting the rehab program, the medical staff, and the player himself determine the timeline.
For now, the Colts are healthy enough to practice, deep enough to compete, and patient enough to wait. That is about all you can ask for on the second day of mandatory minicamp.