Colts’ Shane Steichen spells out starter usage in preseason finale vs. Lions

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen has laid out how his starters will be used in the team’s preseason finale Saturday afternoon at home against the Detroit Lions, describing a brief, controlled workload rather than a longer dress rehearsal. The approach reflects a common late-August theme across the NFL, balancing evaluation with rest as the regular season draw-near tightens the margin for error.

Steichen told local reporting that the Colts’ starters would play “roughly two series” in the game. The intent is to give the core units enough live game snaps to maintain timing and communication without turning the final preseason matchup into an extended workload. For a team preparing to shift fully into regular-season rhythm, those early-game sequences can be as much about flow and execution as they are about individual statistical output.

The most notable element of the plan is that neither starting quarterback Daniel Jones nor starting running back Jonathan Taylor is expected to take the field. By keeping both key skill positions out, Indianapolis is effectively treating the matchup as a chance to look at the depth chart, the backup quarterback pool, and the roles around the starters rather than pushing the first-string starters into longer stretches.

The decision also carries a knock-on effect for how the rest of the roster can be evaluated. When a franchise quarterback and a feature back do not play, coaching attention often turns to second- and third-string production, timing between quarterbacks and receivers, and how offensive line and protection patterns function with different personnel combinations. On defense, a similar logic can apply, with starters’ short exposure creating a wider opening for reserves to show whether they can handle more complex schemes later in the rotation.

For Indianapolis, the Colts’ preseason finale is typically the final high-leverage look before the team’s preparation narrows around opening-week roles. The plan to limit starter snaps to about two series suggests the coaching staff is prioritizing health and crispness over continued volume, a stance that can be especially relevant when evaluating the final roster pieces that separate depth contributors from fringe starters.

Detroit’s opponent role is also important to the context. Playing at home against a standard-preseason opponent like the Lions gives both teams a similar framework: use the game to confirm execution plans and role assignments, but do it within an agreed-upon ceiling for veteran workload. With both teams navigating the same late-preseason concerns, the final contest can become more about who looks ready when the regular rotation begins, and less about building a late-game comeback narrative.

What to watch next is how Indianapolis handles the snap distribution once the initial window ends after about two series. With Jones and Taylor not expected to play, the meaningful questions shift to how the quarterback depth charts operate in-game, how quickly new pass routes sync up, and how offensive and defensive reserves handle situational football, particularly on third downs and red-zone possessions.