It’s Sunday, so you know what that means: it’s time for our weekly trip around the AFC South to see what the Tennessee Titans’ division rivals, the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans, are up to.
We begin in Houston, where rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has been blown away by the support he’s receiving from fans early on. Stroud is expected to be the team’s starter in 2023, but that has yet to be confirmed.
In Jacksonville, the Jaguars are keeping it in the family with the team signing the son of head coach Doug Pederson. Also, former Jags head coach Tom Coughlin is a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Last but not least, we go to Indy, where owner Jim Irsay provided injury updates for a few key Colts players ahead of training camp.
Check out those stories and more in our latest AFC South news roundup.
Arian Foster must be next in Houston Texans Ring of Honor
John Crumpler of Texans Wire makes the case for running back Arian Foster to be Houston’s next entrant into the Ring of Honor.
J.J. Watt almost picked the Steelers to play with his brothers
Texans great and future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt says he almost joined his brothers, Derek and T.J., on the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021 but realized doing so might limit the funds needed for T.J.’s contract extension, so he decided to go elsewhere. What a nice big brother!
Texans' Devin Singletary says respect is key in RB competition
Devin Singletary, who is competing for the starting running back job in Houston with second-year back Dameon Pierce, says there is mutual respect between the two even though they are in competition with one another. He also believes there’s room for both “to eat” in 2023.
Texans' C.J. Stroud Reveals Early NFL 'Blessing'
C.J. Stroud did multiple public appearances recently and revealed he was blown away by the number of Texans fans who showed up to support him and hopes to return the favor with his play on the field.
Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr. 'Seeing The Field At A Faster Rate'
Texans second-year cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. says the game is slowing down for him and he’s “seeing the whole field at a faster rate” ahead of 2023. Stingley’s play is key if the Texans want to improve their defense.
Jaguars sign Doug Pederson's son, TE Josh Pederson
Former USFL tight end and son of head coach Doug Pederson, Josh Pederson, was signed by the Jaguars this past week. To make room, Jacksonville released undrafted rookie tight end Leonard Taylor.
Pederson’s Projects: Comparing the 2023 Jacksonville Jaguars to the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles
Snowden of Big Cat Country compares the task at hand for Doug Pederson in Jacksonville to what he faced in Philadelphia before ultimately taking that franchise to a Super Bowl victory.
Tom Coughlin heads list of 8 Giants semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame
Former Jaguars and Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Coughlin took the Jags to two AFC title games but lost both, with one of them coming at the hands of our beloved Titans, 33-14. Coughlin went on to win two Super Bowls with the Giants.
Colts' DeForest Buckner ranked top-five among DTs
Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar recently ranked the top-11 interior defensive linemen going into 2023 and placed DeForest Buckner at No. 5, one spot behind Big Jeff.
1 veteran player on roster bubble at each position for Colts
Colts Wire’s Kevin Hickey listed one veteran on the roster bubble at each position for the Colts ahead of training camp, a list that includes two 2021 draft picks, quarterback Sam Ehlinger and wide receiver Mike Strachan.
7 Colts who could start training camp on PUP list
Kevin Hickey lists seven Colts who could start training camp on the PUP list, a group that includes linebacker Shaquille Leonard, running back Jonathan Taylor and wide receiver Michael Pittman.
Jim Irsay: Anthony Richardson has to play to get better
Colts owner Jim Irsay says things might be difficult for rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson in his first season but believes the best way for him to get better is to get reps in live-game action. He also noted that it’s possible veteran Gardner Minshew may start at first.
Colts' Jim Irsay says Jonathan Taylor is 'healed up'
Jonathan Taylor underwent a “minimally invasive” procedure this offseason for an ankle injury that hampered him in 2022 and that kept him sidelined during the offseason program, but owner Jim Irsay revealed that Taylor is “healed up” and should be ready to go for camp.
Colts' Jim Irsay on Shaquille Leonard: 'We'll see'
After missing all but three games in 2022 due to back issues, the status of linebacker Shaquille Leonard remains up in the air ahead of training camp, with owner Jim Irsay saying “we’ll see” in regard to his status.
Colts QB room building 'a lot of good camaraderie'
Despite being in a competition for the starting job, Gardner Minshew says he and rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson are building “a lot of good camaraderie” this offseason.
Ranking the WRs in the AFC South entering 2023
Cody Manning ranked the top-12 wide receivers in the AFC South recently and placed Titans wideouts Kyle Philips, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Treylon Burks at Nos. 12, 10 and 5, respectively. Meanwhile, Michael Pittman Jr., Alex Pierece and Isaiah McKenzie were ranked Nos. 2, 6 and 11, respectively. Jags wideout Calvin Ridley was No. 1.
Anthony Richardson excited for deep shots in new Colts offense
During minicamp, Richardson noted the presence of plays that take shots down the field in the playbook, something he’s excited for ahead of 2023.
4 ex-Colts named Hall of Fame semifinalists for Senior, Coach/Contributor
Four former Colts are semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a list that includes guard Chris Hinton, offensive tackle George Kunz, wide receiver Stanley Morgan and offensive line coach Alex Gibbs.
WATCH: Pat McAfee's full opening monologue at 2023 ESPYs
Former Colts punter and wildly successful talk-show host Pat McAfee was tasked with the opening monologue at this year’s ESPY’s and was only censored once. Overall, he did a great job.
1 Colt from each position to watch at training camp
Cody Felger takes a look at one Colts player from each position to watch at training camp. Among them is, of course, Anthony Richardson, who is vying for the starting job.
Ranking each defense the Colts will play in 2023
Kevin Hickey ranks the defenses the Colts will play in 2023 and he placed the Titans at No. 10 of 14. Kevin is my dude, but that’s too low.
The top 10 Colts players 25 and under
We finish out round-up with Kevin Hickey ranking the Colts’ top-10 players under 25, with Jonathan Taylor heading the list.
