WESTFIELD, Ind. — The final whistle blew 40 minutes earlier than expected as eight summers of Indianapolis Colts training camp at Droplight Grand Park Sports Campus had officially come to an abrupt end.
For the Colts, that Grand Park chapter began in 2018 when the team originally announced a 10-year partnership, with the first camp opening July 25, 2018. The Colts were forced back to their Indianapolis headquarters in 2020 because of the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols, then returned back to Grand Park in 2021.
Beginning next summer, training camp will return to the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.
Operationally, the move makes sense because the coaches will have their offices, meeting rooms and practice at one facility. It allows the organization to take advantage of the technology and infrastructure installed and already available at its headquarters. The Colts announced the move in January, citing growing logistical and technological demands.
But there is something that cannot be measured by better WiFi, because Grand Park gave Colts fans a different kind of exposure. For eight summers, families could pack the grandstands, walk through Colts City and watch the team prepare for another season from only a few yards away. Even today, there were families who traveled four hours that left devastated after the announcement of no autographs. There were fans confused why practice ended so early and why they felt forced out of Grand Park. It was a crummy buzzkill to what was a special annual event for the community. Children who might not have had the opportunity to attend a Colts game at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indy could see their favorite player Jonathan Taylor (or Bijan Robinson) break through a runway, watch a quarterback launch a deep ball or collect an autograph from a signature from a player they had only seen on television.
Just one mile away, it became part of the rhythm of the summer for me as each practice still offered plenty to evaluate while covering the Colts. For starters, Keenan Allen waited until the very last day to give Colts fans their first glimpse of the team’s newest receiver in full pads. The 14-year veteran, who signed a one-year contract worth up to $8.32 million in incentives, participated in two one-on-one reps before getting a series of team repetitions.
Allen won his first 1on1 battle on a short slant route, but his second rep, he essentially had to play defensive back and used his length to knock away a bad pass headed toward the back corner of the end zone. Allen did not receive a target during team drills, but his presence offered an encouraging live look of what the offense can look like. He spent eight seasons with head coach Shane Steichen in their time with the Los Angeles Chargers, giving him a familiarity with the system that could accelerate his transition to Indianapolis.
The Colts spent much of the final practice aiming to confront an issue that Steichen mentioned he wants to see more consistency from, the rushing attack. There was no way to sugarcoat the struggles in both joint practices as Jonathan Taylor’s first five carries produced fewer than 10 yards. The Falcons repeatedly stuffed the Colts’ tailbacks at the line of scrimmage, including another stuffed run by rookie defensive tackle Carlos Allen Jr. against fellow Colts’ rookie Seth McGowan.
Even a low-red-zone period designed to emphasize the battle in the trenches produced little rhythm for the Colts touted offensive line. For all the offensive frustration though, the Colts quarterbacks offered way more encouraging moments than the Falcons QBs did. Riley Leonard flourished in his final practice of camp, throwing four touchdown passes during the low red zone period to four different pass catchers, including Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Deion Burks, Will Mallory and Tyler Moore. Anthony Richardson Sr. completed 5-of-7 passes in Thursday’s joint-practice, but his best moment came during the final one-minute drill while leading the second unit.
Both teams were faced with a scenario where the offense was trailing by one point with just 1:05 remaining on the game clock. For four straight series, the Colts emerged victorious. Jones ignited the final drive with a short hitch to Josh Downs, then followed with a deep shot for Downs down the near sideline as a defensive pass interference penalty gifted the Colts an advantage from the opposing 40-yard-line. Rather than risk a turnover, Steichen chose to drain the clock like he did in the Denver Broncos game last season and fed McGowan for an inside run instead of airing it out. Shrader delivered a 48-yard field goal before time expired.
Richardson also needed just two plays to moonwalk into Falcons territory as he connected with Westbrook-Ikhine over the middle, then found Burks wide open on a drag route for another chunk gain. Despite bobbling a couple high snaps in opposing territory, Richardson was still able to hit Burks on a slant before finding Coleman Owen on a quick out route. Steichen again settled for Shrader to try from 50 yards out and he drilled it, with enough distance to strike the left upright on the opposite practice field.
Four straight competitive periods. Four Colts victories between Wednesday and Thursday. Next summer, there won’t be a grandstand filled with fans waiting in Westfield to greet Colts players walking out from the Field 0f Dreams’ practice facility.
The Grand Park era is over. There was no grand finale. No fireworks. No post-practice autographs. Just one last practice. Perhaps that was a bittersweet ending. Training camp has never really been about the last practice. It has been about the work that comes during it. The sweat from the 90 August heat. The competition to make the team and earn your place on the field.
There was uncertainty from injuries like most NFL teams. Some were answered like Daniel Jones full participation, while others were left unanswered like Alec Pierce and Charvarius Ward. The backup quarterback competition remains unresolved. Leonard will get his opportunity to start inside Lucas Oil Stadium for Saturday’s preseason game against the Falcons.
