Colts open the preseason at Patriots, with Richardson and select playmakers among those looking to define roles

The Indianapolis Colts begin their 2026 preseason schedule Thursday night with a visit to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium, the first chance for coaches to evaluate live game reps in a setting that still resembles full-speed football more closely than practice. The Colts are also preparing for a brief, high-intensity window of joint work, with three joint practices scheduled between this week and next week, followed by two preseason games overall. For players on the roster bubble, this is the stretch where evaluations can move from “potential” to “trusted roles.”

In Indianapolis, the most prominent positional storyline is quarterback Anthony Richardson’s role as the projected starter for the preseason opener, according to the Colts’ preview. The preseason does not determine the regular-season depth chart by itself, but it often reveals how confidently an offense can operate while mixing scout looks, timing routes, and protection schemes. For Richardson, the first test is not only command of the play, but the consistency of decision-making when the tempo and looks tighten, especially during stretches where starters are expected to execute with fewer instructional pauses than in practice.

Behind Richardson, the Colts’ preview highlights Seth McGowan as a running back to watch. Preseason usage for a feature back in a developing offense often indicates more than workload. It can reflect how well the running game is protected at the line of scrimmage, whether the scheme can create defined lanes, and how the player handles the quick rhythm of receiving opportunities and blitz recognition. McGowan’s reps against New England’s personnel groupings will be a useful reference point for how Indianapolis plans to build depth at the position.

The Colts also point to Bryce Boettcher as another player to watch, tying him to the preseason’s central theme: carving out a more established roster presence. In these early games, opportunities can come in clusters, whether through situational packages, third-down groupings, or a role that is expanded only if a player earns it during live sequences. Boettcher’s value to the Colts, at this stage, will be measured by how consistently he converts that opportunity into production and, just as importantly, whether he fits smoothly into the team’s timing and spacing when the pace increases.

The Colts’ preview frames the Thursday opener as one component of a longer evaluation arc, not an isolated night. Three joint practices in the coming days offer a different look at readiness than preseason play does, because they allow for repeated confrontations that coaches can compare across multiple sequences. Then, the second preseason game provides another chance to see whether the early impressions were repeatable or tied to one-off circumstances like personnel matchups or game flow.

What to watch next is largely practical. First, how long the Colts’ projected starters remain in the game and what offensive checkpoints they are trying to hit with the quarterback and skill positions. Second, how the running back group’s roles shake out when the game shifts between base and passing situations. Third, whether the players emphasized in the Colts’ preview translate practice momentum into clear, repeatable contributions when defensive look packages get more complex.