Ashton Dulin talks role competition as Colts’ offseason lineup begins to take shape

Indianapolis Colts training for the 2026 season has started to feel like a series of parallel auditions. In one of the first offseasons in a while where multiple starting roles appear up for grabs at the same time, the Colts have leaned into internal competition on both sides of the ball. On Tuesday, receiver Ashton Dulin and another Colts player competing for a different starting job shared their mindsets for how they are approaching this period, emphasizing daily preparation, clarity in their assignments, and the push to seize a legitimate opening when it’s presented.

For Dulin, the context is especially direct. He has spent the entirety of his NFL career with Indianapolis, developing from a core special teams contributor into a rotational receiving option. The Colts’ offseason has now created a larger window of playing-time opportunity at wide receiver, after longtime starting veteran Michael Pittman Jr. was traded earlier this offseason. Dulin framed that change as both a loss and a chance for the room to close ranks and step into a broader responsibility. He also acknowledged Pittman’s impact on team culture, saying Pittman was “a culture guy” and “a leader guy,” before stressing that the receiver group will now work to “fill that space” after Pitt left.

Dulin’s description of how he’s preparing was less about chasing headlines and more about the mechanics of earning snaps. In the conversation reported by the Athletic’s James Boyd and echoed in the Colts media coverage, Dulin linked the opportunity to being consistent in fundamentals: coming to work, opening the playbook, taking care of his body, and staying available. He also tied the current competition to understanding roles precisely, because, in his view, the path to starting involves doing everything right every day rather than relying on one breakthrough moment.

The broader Colts picture is that this wide receiver situation may not be a single-man vacancy. Even when a notable name departs, the NFL reality is that rotations and package usage can distribute touches quickly among multiple players. Dulin’s comments point to the kind of competition the Colts are trying to cultivate: a room-wide effort where established and developing receivers push each other while coaches decide who can handle the most reps and responsibilities in the base offense.

The same theme runs through the defensive side of the story, where the Colts are also sorting out who can claim a starting role. The Tuesday discussion paired Dulin with a different Colts player, each competing for different jobs. While the wide receiver situation is defined by the immediate void left by Pittman’s departure, the defensive competition reflects the team-building approach Indianapolis is using to keep its roster fluid. In practice, that often means multiple players trying to separate themselves in training camp through coverage, assignment reliability, and the ability to execute the same fundamentals under live-contact pressure.

What to watch next for the Colts is how the staff translates these offseason mindsets into on-field clarity. If the Colts are truly viewing several starting spots as open simultaneously, the preseason and the early camp practices will likely reveal which players can take a consistent hold of reps. For Dulin, the key will be whether his development trend continues in a larger role, especially as coaches decide who can produce in both the structure of the route tree and the day-to-day details of pre-snap execution. For Indianapolis as a whole, the payoff is straightforward: winning the internal battles in June and July can reduce uncertainty in September, and it can shape the identity of the team before the schedule starts to compress.

Separately, the Colts have also continued to adjust their depth chart during the offseason, including a reported move placing backup safety Reuben Lowery III on the Reserve/Retired list. That kind of roster churn is common in the NFL, but it underscores that competitions are not being held in a vacuum. Roles can open or shrink quickly as the organization makes decisions about availability, depth, and the direction of its positional group.