2025 Colts Training Camp: Injuries and a QB Dilemma

2025 Colts Training Camp: Injuries and a QB Dilemma

M Hasan    7:22 AM   

The Indianapolis Colts Face New Challenges in Preseason

The Indianapolis Colts are entering the second week of preseason play with more questions than answers. After a highly anticipated opener against the Baltimore Ravens, which brought national attention, the team needs to regain momentum to restore confidence among their fans.

One of the primary concerns for the Colts is their overall health. Before the weekend’s practices, the main worries revolved around Anthony Richardson’s pinkie injury and the loss of rookie cornerback Justin Walley, who tore his ACL during a joint practice with the Ravens. Unfortunately, those concerns have only grown as several players have faced nagging injuries this weekend.

Injuries Add to the Team's Struggles

During the practices, four players either left early or sat out entirely: WR Alec Pierce (groin), CB Kenny Moore II (knee), DE Kwity Paye (groin), and Nick Cross (hip flexor). Head coach Shane Steichen has not provided updates on the severity of these injuries, but the sheer number is concerning for the team heading into the regular season.

Even though LB Zaire Franklin made progress in his rehab by participating in team drills for the first time this summer, second-year LB Jaylon Carlies (knee, TBD) has yet to practice in August. With so much to work through before the season starts, this wave of injuries is the last thing the Colts needed.

The Quarterback Competition Heats Up

Regarding the quarterback competition, Daniel Jones appears to be gaining an edge over Anthony Richardson. While it's not a landslide, Richardson's recent injury has likely dampened expectations for the rest of training camp.

Richardson did suit up for the weekend practices, but his performance was inconsistent. During his first practice back, he struggled with efficiency, occasionally reverting to old habits with some off-target throws. However, his velocity and decisiveness remained consistent.

On Saturday, the practice focused heavily on the red zone, where Jones performed efficiently, completing 5 out of 6 passes. However, the context is important—Jones' session came from the 20-yard line, while Richardson's was from the 10-yard line. This difference highlights the need for Richardson to improve as a passer when closer to the goal line.

Despite the challenges, Richardson had moments of brilliance, including two touchdowns in 7-on-7 play and a rushing touchdown in 11-on-11. His first day back was not inspiring, but it was understandable given the injury to his throwing hand.

On Sunday, Richardson's performance was hit-or-miss. He started strong but then faltered, only to rebound later in the session. His inconsistency continues to raise questions about whether the injury is affecting his performance. Fans want to see stability from a player who has already been labeled as injury-prone.

Daniel Jones also had an inconsistent day, with off-target throws even in the short passing game. However, he found his rhythm toward the end of practice. One major concern remains: Jones' presence in the pocket. He allowed the pass rush to disrupt his timing, which is a critical issue for any quarterback.

A Tight Race Between Two QBs

The quarterback battle between Richardson and Jones is still very close, which is not what Colts fans want to hear. The goal of bringing in Jones was to allow Richardson to prove himself as the franchise's future. So far, Richardson hasn't separated himself from Jones, and with limited time left, the outlook is bleak.

Other Notable Developments

Second-year WR AD Mitchell has shown significant improvement since the pads came on. His strong performances in joint practices and this weekend suggest that he could become a key player if Pierce's injury causes him to miss time.

Rookie Tyler Warren has lived up to expectations, showing the same talent he displayed at Penn State. His preseason opener was impressive, and he continues to make an impact.

TE Will Mallory has also had a strong camp, transitioning into a potential big slot receiver rather than a traditional blocking tight end. He has been seen playing in bunch formations with the starters in 7-on-7 play.

With several defensive backs injured, rookie S Hunter Wohler has seen increased playing time, particularly in red zone situations.

WR Anthony Gould continues to show effort, but his recent drop issues are becoming a concern. RB Jonathan Taylor has been working on improving his hands, which could translate to better performance on gameday.

Finally, G Quenton Nelson praised Tyler Warren's work ethic, noting that he never has a bad day and is always striving to improve. This kind of dedication is exactly what the Colts need as they prepare for the regular season.

Survivor Rides Pan-Mass Challenge After 9/11, Two Cancer Battles

Survivor Rides Pan-Mass Challenge After 9/11, Two Cancer Battles

M Hasan    7:57 AM   

A Journey of Survival and Resilience

Kathy Ball-Toncic's story is one of survival, resilience, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. Almost 22 years after she ran barefoot from the North Tower on September 11, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. While her medical team at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute cannot definitively link her illness to the toxic dust she inhaled during the attacks, she is part of the WTC Health Program. To date, more than 44,000 individuals exposed to the World Trade Center site have been diagnosed with cancer.

The Morning of September 11

In 2001, Kathy was commuting between Boston and New York, working on Wall Street. On the morning of September 11, she had helped organize a conference at Windows On The World and was in a meeting in the lobby when the first plane hit the tower. At first, no one knew what had happened. She recalls a roar that sounded much like a subway train and flickering lights. She and her colleagues were standing up, pushing papers into their bags, when she heard a BOOM!

The explosion caused glass to shatter in businesses along the first-floor concourse. Kathy and her colleagues were "dressed up" for their meeting. In the moments after the explosion, one of them didn't feel that Kathy was moving quickly enough—probably because she was in shock. He urged her to take off her heels and run from the building. With bare feet, over broken glass, she did.

Blocks later, they stopped. "We stopped and turned around just in time for the second plane to hit," Kathy said. "My memory of that morning is a little bit like a film that's missing a few frames. But I vividly remember when we turned around and the building in flames... I pointed to it and said, 'We were in there.'"

By the time the group arrived at their office, Kathy's feet were bleeding, and she was covered in a thin layer of dust. She remembers feeling fortunate to have escaped and that night, to have been able to return home to Boston.

Healing Through Running

Processing the trauma of the attacks took a lot of intentional, emotional work. There was also a physical component to Kathy's emotional healing. After 9/11, Kathy, who had been a runner for years, began running marathons for charity. "It really felt like a wonderful way to be able to give back, to do something meaningful," Kathy said.

The 2002 Boston Marathon was her first. Running became a way to celebrate her health, nourish friendships, process difficult emotions, and raise money for organizations she believed in. In 2014, the year after the Boston Marathon bombings, she ran for Dana-Farber.

Facing Cancer Head-On

Her breast cancer diagnosis in 2023 was shocking enough. Kathy was treated at Dana-Farber for a full year. The following February, right around her birthday, she celebrated being cancer free. In a photograph with her son Henrik and daughter Maja, she is beaming as she holds a cupcake. That sense of elation, though, was short-lived. Two weeks later, she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. (Breast cancer and colorectal cancer are two of the almost-70 cancers that have been traced to 9/11 exposure.) She had surgery and chemotherapy.

As someone for whom exercise and physical activity are so important, Kathy recalls her exhaustion at the end of 2024. "The chemo took everything out of me ... I remember lying on the couch thinking, I'm a business owner who's not working. I'm a chef who can't eat. And I'm an athlete who can't make it up a flight of stairs. Who am I?" she asked.

She answered that question by focusing, minute-by-minute, on healing and small victories. Knowing when to give herself grace. Knowing when to ask for help. "I'm someone who's fighting and I'm someone who is visualizing health and wellness," she said.

Riding Toward Recovery

During radiation, she visualized that the treatments were working. In early 2025, still healing from those treatments, Kathy knew that running a marathon was out of the question. But desiring a goal, she asked her doctor (Dr. Brandon Huffman) and physical therapist whether she could ride the Pan-Mass Challenge, an event to which she had donated for years. "They both emphatically said yes and were super supportive!" she said.

Kathy, who works as an executive leadership coach and facilitator, is riding the two-day PMC route from Wellesley to Provincetown. She hopes, with some nervousness, that she will be able to ride the entire route. Those who know her have little doubt. Henrik is a registered volunteer in Bourne and Provincetown. Asked about his mother's decision to take on this new challenge on her bike, he says what she brings to the ride makes him proud. "Grit and determination and perseverance and love and honor and all these wonderful characteristics that make her who she is," Henrik said.

A New Chapter

While she does not miss cancer treatment, she does miss her team at Dana-Farber. "They are so extraordinary," Kathy said. "I think it's a part of cancer. People don't talk about a lot, that you finish your treatment.... And there's a bit of 'now what?' And you are not regularly seeing your care team." She says she will think about them while she is riding.

Kathy is again cancer free. She has regular check-ups, and her team promises to watch her "like a hawk." The colorectal cancer she survived has a high recurrence rate. But she says smiling, "it doesn't know who it's messing with."

PMC Living Proof Rider

A few weeks before the PMC, Kathy enjoyed an experience that offered a new feeling of community. Smiling and flexing a well-toned bicep in a PMC t-shirt at Fenway Park, she was among the Living Proof riders (cancer survivors) who rode the warning track and paused for the national anthem and a standing ovation.

It was PMC Night at Fenway and the ballpark was full of fans. "They announced, 'These are the cancer survivors riding the PMC.' I almost wanted to look around and say, 'Who-like--who are the cancer survivors?' And it's like, it's me!" That realization came with a flood of emotions. "I burst into tears at first. And then I just, I thought I want to be here. I want to take this moment in."

She now looks ahead to the ride and imagines it will feel like a victory lap. "It's a way to celebrate all the people that have supported me. It's a way to celebrate my health," she said. "And it's a way to do whatever I can to make sure people don't have to go through this by raising money for research."

"We are all touched by this horrible thing called cancer," Kathy said.