Colts' 2025 Player Honors and Superlatives

A heartbreaking 2025 season came to a close for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, and despite the final result (another missed postseason), this year will be hard to forget for most Colts fans.

An electric, record-breaking start had some questioning whether the Colts were contenders for the Lombardi Trophy, but a seven-game losing streak quickly erased any chance of that happening. Indy became the first team to ever finish with a losing record after a 7-1 start.

Despite that, plenty of Colts had a season to remember. Let's jump into Colts superlatives and player honors for 2025, starting with the rookies.

Tyler Warren - Offensive Rookie of the Year

The Colts' 14th overall pick is unsurprisingly this year's best offensive rookie. Warren excelled in his first season, shattering the franchise record for most receptions by a rookie in a single season with 76. He surpassed wide receiver Josh Downs, who set the record in 2023.

Warren finished with 817 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns through the air and tacked on another 8 yards on the ground with an extra touchdown.

The Colts solved their tight-end crisis, but the team needs Warren to take the next step in becoming one of the league's best next season.

Johnathan Edwards - Defensive Rookie of the Year

Really, none of the Colts' defensive draft picks played many snaps this season. Second-rounder JT Tuimoloau played 215 total snaps, third-rounder Justin Walley tore his ACL, sixth-rounder Tim Smith didn't play a single snap, and seventh-rounder Hunter Wohler suffered a season-ending foot injury.

That's why this award is going to undrafted free agent Johnathan Edwards, who stepped in at corner while the Colts dealt with depth issues. Edwards played over 25% of the snaps in seven different games, mostly from Weeks 5-9 and 15-18.

Edwards finished with 26 total tackles and 3 passes defended in 14 games played. Edwards fought through heavy competition to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, but he proved to be a valuable addition in his first season.

Daniel Jones - Best Offseason Signing

When Daniel Jones was signed this spring, few thought he would actually win the starting job. But he did, and he proved why. Jones led the Colts' offense to a historic start, one that was unimaginable entering the season. Shane Steichen's group finally found stability under center until Jones fractured his fibula and tore his ACL.

The Colts weren't just beating teams, they were blowing them out of the water. With the front office expected to stay another season, one would imagine that keeping Jones is the logical choice.

Jones finished his first season in Indianapolis with 3,101 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and a 68% completion rate. He ran for an extra 164 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground.

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Laiatu Latu - Most Improved Player

Indy's second-year edge rusher finished with 45 total tackles, 8.5 sacks, 3 interceptions, 5 passes defended, and a forced fumble.

Latu, who was the first defensive player selected in last year's draft, showed solid improvement in his second season. The Colts still need him to take another leap to become a true star, but Latu nearly doubled his rookie totals in only 138 more snaps.

Alec Pierce - Offensive Player of the Year

Pierce reached 1,000 yards for the first time in his career thanks to a 132-yard performance in Week 18 against the Houston Texans, proving his value as the top receiver in a contract year, which will force the Colts to pay him a hefty amount to retain him.

Pierce once again led the NFL in yards per reception. He reached 1,000 yards on 47 receptions, becoming the first player to reach 1,000 yards with under 50 catches since DeSean Jackson in 2010.

DeForest Buckner - Defensive Player of the Year

Buckner only started 10 games, but you could feel his presence missing in the second half of the season. The Colts desperately needed an interior defensive line presence in those close losses, but with Buckner sidelined, it never happened.

Buckner finished the season with 47 total tackles, 4 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, and 13 QB hits. His nerve injury required season-ending surgery, which could be a bad sign for Buckner's future in the league.

Ideally, Buckner is able to have a full recovery and the Colts can run it back with a healthy defensive in 2026.

Jonathan Taylor - Most Valuable Player

Jonathan Taylor reminded everyone why he remains one of the league’s most dangerous backs. Taylor consistently produced chunk plays and remained the engine of Steichen's offense. Without him in the backfield, the Colts may have been a five-win team.

Taylor was in real MVP talks during the Colts' hot start, and it looked like he had a chance to match LaDainian Tomlinson's historic season. Instead, quarterback injuries caused defenses to stack the box vs. Taylor, which notably lowered his production.

Still, Taylor ended with 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. He tacked on another 378 yards and a pair of scores through the air. The Colts' offense isn't the same without Taylor.