Despite the Indianapolis Colts missing out on a playoff run, there were plenty of high marks from the 2023 season. Conversely, the Colts also had their share of disappointing players from the campaign.
Between injuries and poor performance, there were a handful of Colts players who failed to meet expectations during the 2023 season. Some will likely have a chance to bounce back in 2024, but the outlook may not be as encouraging as it once was.
We took a look at the players who exceeded expectations. Now, here are five Colts players who disappointed the most in 2023:
1
WR Alec Pierce
After an up-and-down rookie season, Pierce entered his second season with hope that he could become a more consistent downfield threat. Between learning a new offense and the injury to Anthony Richardson, that didn’t come to fruition. Pierce recorded just one game with more than three receptions while averaging just 30.2 yards per game. It wasn’t all his fault, though. There were plenty of times Gardner Minshew failed to target Pierce when he was open. Still, it was pretty disappointing to see his season become pretty irrelevant outside of a handful of plays.
2
TE Jelani Woods
Big things were on the horizon for the second-year tight end, but a nagging hamstring injury followed by a setback during the season kept him on the Reserve/Injured list for the entire season. This was a truly disappointing development because the Colts could have used Woods’ explosiveness in Shane Steichen’s scheme. He’ll have a chance to bounce back in 2024, but the fact that a hamstring injury kept him out the entire season is not an encouraging look.
3
S Rodney Thomas II
After a stellar rookie season that showed Thomas burst onto the scene, things did not go quiet as well for the Yale product. Thomas started the majority of the season as the free safety alongside Julian Blackmon, who switched over to the strong side. According to Pro Football Focus, Thomas allowed 21.2 yards per reception and a 92.3 passer rating in coverage. He was eventually replaced by fellow second-year safety Nick Cross, who shined during the final month of the season.
4
LB Shaquille Leonard
There’s no denying this is arguably the biggest disappointment from the 2023 season. Leonard simply did not look like the same player from before the lengthy injury that forced him to miss the majority of the 2022 season. It got to the point where the Colts were going to bench Leonard in favor of E.J. Speed. He wound up getting released during Thanksgiving week and landed with the Philadelphia Eagles. Considering the Hall of Fame trajectory Leonard was on before the injury, it was extremely disappointing to see how far he’d fallen from The Maniac who provided game-changing plays.
5
OT Blake Freeland
We shouldn’t get hung up too much on rookies underperforming. The jump from college to the NFL is massive both from a physical standpoint and a mental one. Freeland showed a lot of poise after being thrown into the fire unexpectedly for nine starts due to injuries at left and right tackle. It was an admirable effort from the fourth-round pick. Still, he struggled mightily. According to Pro Football Focus, Freeland was among 11 offensive tackles who allowed 45 total pressures in 2023. His 426 pass-blocking snaps are by far the fewest in that group considering he was the only non-regular starter among them. We shouldn’t give up on Freeland just yet. He’s an athletic and experienced tackle who can still provide value as a swing option. But he must develop a stronger anchor as a pass protector moving forward.
