Colts TE Tyler Warren Gets A Fantasy Boost Post NFL Draft
Tyler Warren is heading into his second NFL season as the undisputed centerpiece of the Indianapolis Colts’ passing game, and the circumstances surrounding him may be more favorable than last year’s numbers suggest.
Warren finished his debut season with 76 receptions for 817 yards and four receiving touchdowns on 112 targets, franchise records for a tight end, despite losing starting quarterback Daniel Jones to a torn Achilles tendon in early December. He also added a rushing touchdown and was named to the 2026 Pro Bowl.
The Colts overhauled their receiver room this offseason. Wide receiver Alec Pierce, who led the NFL with a 21.3 yards-per-catch average in 2025, was re-signed to a four-year, $114 million contract at the start of free agency. Hours later, Indianapolis traded Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a late-round pick swap. Pittman, who caught 80 passes for 784 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns last season, had been the Colts’ WR2 before the deal.
With Pittman gone, no remaining player on the Indianapolis roster was targeted more than 84 times during the 2025 season. That leaves Warren, Pierce, and Josh Downs to absorb the bulk of the passing work in 2026.
“Tyler Warren is one of those players,” general manager Chris Ballard said at the 2026 NFL Combine. “He’s only going to continue to grow.”
The Colts’ mid-season trade for cornerback Sauce Gardner, acquired from the New York Jets in November in exchange for two first-round picks and Adonai Mitchell, helped stabilize a defense that had been leaking in pass coverage. But the offense, which had started 8–2, fell apart after Jones went down. The Colts lost their final seven games and finished 8–9, missing the playoffs.
Indianapolis placed a transition tag on Jones before eventually signing him to a two-year, $88 million extension. He is now several months into his Achilles recovery.
“I’m very confident in being back to 100 percent and ready to go,” Jones said in March. “I’m in a good spot, I’m on schedule.”
Head coach Shane Steichen confirmed Jones is already dropping back and throwing at the facility, a development that has encouraged the organization.
“Daniel’s the same way,” Steichen said, comparing Jones’ work ethic in rehab to that of Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who returned impressively from the same injury. “So those guys know how to go about their business.”
Warren’s own production dropped sharply once Jones left the lineup. In the 14 games Jones started or appeared in, Warren was among the league’s top tight ends by yardage. In the final stretch without him, the Penn State product was held to 10 receptions and 82 yards over three games.
If Jones returns healthy, Warren’s role as the Colts’ leading target, a genuine possibility given the roster, puts him in a strong position heading into the new season.
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