INDIANAPOLIS – It begins.
Monday, the Indianapolis Colts en masse take their first step toward a first playoff appearance since Philip Rivers led them to a wild card berth in 2020.
Yes, it’s been a minute.
Players report to the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center for the start of their eight-week offseason workout program.
It’s when the open competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones officially begins. All that’s at stake is the direction the Colts take for the next two or three years. It’s not a reach to call 2025 a make-or-break season for Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in 2023, who’s been limited to 15 starts.
It’s also when pricey free-agent acquisitions Charvarius Ward and Cam Bynum wade into first-year coordinator Lou Anarumo’s defense.
And when Braden Smith reclaims his spot at right tackle and Tanor Bortolini and Matt Goncalves attempt to fill massive holes at center and right guard.
Per the collective bargaining agreement, the offseason program is divided into three phases:
*Phase 1: Two weeks limited to meetings, strength and conditioning and rehabilitation.
*Phase 2: Three weeks during which on-field activities are permitted. Even so, they’re limited to individual and group drills and so-called “perfect-play drills.’’ Drills can be offensive players vs. offensive players and defensive players vs. defensive players. Everything must be done at a walk-through pace with no contact.
*Phase 3: A maximum of four weeks and 10 team practice sessions, or the organized team activity (OTAs) segment. No live contact is allowed, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 is permitted.
The Colts won’t maximize the allowed practice schedule. Coach Shane Steichen and his staff will have the team on the field nine times, including a three-day mandatory minicamp in mid-June that caps the offseason work. There’s also a rookie minicamp.
The Colts’ offseason workouts:
*May 9-10: Rookie minicamp.
*May 28-30: OTAs.
*June 3-5: OTAs.
*June 10-12: Mandatory minicamp.
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.