Colts Hold Pre-Draft Meeting With Another Late-Round QB Prospect

The Colts continue to do their due diligence on quarterback prospects.

Jan 27, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; West quarterback Joe Fagnano (12) drops back to pass the ball against the East during the second half at the Ford Center at the Star. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Indianapolis Colts head into the 2026-27 NFL season with a massive question mark at the quarterback position, as is tradition in the Chris Ballard era.

They’ve chosen to pivot away from 2023 fourth-overall pick Anthony Richardson, electing to put all of their eggs into the basket known as Daniel Jones.

Jones signed a new deal with the Colts earlier this offseason, locking him down for another two years. They chose Jones as their starter ahead of the 2025 season after a famous training camp battle with Richardson and haven’t looked back since.

During the NFL Scouting Combine, Anthony Richardson and the Colts mutually agreed to seek a trade, effectively ending the experiment altogether.

2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard is naturally being viewed as the backup quarterback of the future. There’s a chance that Anthony Richardson remains on the roster for the final year of his rookie contract, but even then, there’s a world where he’s relegated to QB3.

Regardless if Richardson is dealt before the season kicks off, the future at quarterback is more up in the air than it may seem. Jones may not return to form, and Richardson’s days in Indianapolis feel numbered.

As a result, the Colts have been covering their bases at the position throughout the pre-draft process, meeting with quarterbacks projected to go in the middle and late rounds of the draft.

Most recently, UConn QB Joe Fagnano revealed in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s very own Justin Melo that he’s met with the Colts.

It was a virtual meeting with Indianapolis, but this still matters in the grand scheme of things. It also marks the fourth late-round quarterback prospect they’ve met with in the pre-draft process, joining North Dakota State’s Cole Payton, Illinois’s Luke Altmyer, and Texas Tech’s Behren Morton.

They’ve also met with middle-round prospect Garrett Nussmeier, though he’s likely to be out of their range as a projected Day 2 (rounds 2-3) prospect.

Joe Fagnano is a dependable signal-caller, throwing for 3,450 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and just one interception this past season. When talking to Melo, he chalked up his success to being a collaborative team effort.

"A lot of that credit goes to the offensive line. It’s cliché, but we really won as a unit," Fagnano told Melo. "The stats looked great, and of course, I had to take care of the football as the quarterback, but it’s an overall offensive stat in my mind. We performed at such a high level as a unit."

He’s currently slated to go late on Day 3 (rounds 4-7) of the draft, possibly becoming a priority undrafted free agent.

The Colts likely don’t take a quarterback unless they add more capital late to justify the dart throw, but Fagnano remains a legitimate option nonetheless.

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