Colts Confirm Joint Practice, Opposing Coach Reveals More

The Indianapolis Colts will participate in joint practices with at least two of their preseason opponents this summer.

Sep 24, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs for a touchdown during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

As the NFL inches toward an eventual 18-game schedule, there is a major shift in how teams approach their summer preparation, and the Indianapolis Colts are heavily involved in the trend.

More and more, teams are participating in joint practices during training camp, usually coming together with their preseason opponents for one or two practices together leading into their games. Because teams cycle through so many players throughout the games and use stripped-down playcalling, they use the joint practices as a way to put their players into a more controlled environment, with more reps, to get the most out of the experience.

The Colts have leaned heavily into joint practices in recent years, especially since hiring Shane Steichen as head coach in 2023. The Colts hosted the Arizona Cardinals for a pair of practices at Grand Park Sports Campus before their preseason game last year, a week before going to Ohio for a joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals before their preseason finale. They also got together with the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles the year prior.

This year, the Colts are again going to have joint practices with at least two of their preseason opponents.

Recent reports came out that the Colts would have joint practices in Westfield with the Green Bay Packers leading into their August 16 matchup. Steichen was asked about it on Wednesday and said, “Yeah. Working through it, but yeah.”

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

Steichen was then asked if the Packers would be the team's only joint practice, and he replied, “We're working through some other stuff.”

Well, while Steichen was speaking, the "other stuff" he mentioned was essentially confirmed by Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh when he told reporters that the Ravens and Colts would have joint practices together before their preseason kickoff in Baltimore on August 7.

For the third consecutive year, the Colts will have joint practices in back-to-back weeks against preseason opponents. However, could they wind up doing it with all three?

As previously mentioned, the Colts joined the Bengals for a joint practice before their game last summer. They do play the Bengals again in Cincinnati to finish the preseason on August 23 at Paycor Stadium. For the first time, might we see the Colts completely fill their training camp with extra competition by going three straight weeks with joint practices before preseason games?