Tyler Warren is about to find out what it’s like to be the focal point of an NFL passing game. The Colts tight end put together a Pro Bowl rookie season in 2025, and heading into his second year, head coach Shane Steichen wants him touching the ball even more.
Warren finished second on the team in receptions and receiving yards last season, and he ranked among the top seven tight ends in the league in both categories. Now, with a key piece of Indianapolis’ passing attack gone, the Colts are pointing to Warren as a player who can carry a heavier load.
Steichen’s praise and a bigger role in 2026
Speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show,” according to ClutchPoints, Steichen called Warren “phenomenal” in camp and said the plan is to “get him the ball any way we can.” That’s a notable vote of confidence for a tight end who’s already coming off one of the better rookie seasons at the position in recent memory.
Warren backed that up himself. Speaking with NFL Network’s Maurice Jones-Drew and Judy Battista at Colts training camp on Tuesday, Warren pointed to the departure of veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr. as an opening for more players — himself included — to take on bigger roles.
“I think playing tight end, being able to do everything is a big part of it,” Warren said. “Also, with Pittman gone, he was a huge part of our offense, so there is a lot of opportunity for really everybody in our offense. Kinda opens up more roles and offers more touches, so I’m excited about that. We got a lot of weapons on offense. I’m excited to see how everybody gets the ball this year.”
NFL Network posted video of the exchange on X: “Is a year-2 leap coming for Tyler Warren?” —
Is a year-2 leap coming for Tyler Warren?@Colts | @judybattista | @MJD pic.twitter.com/6kfRlRiRWa
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 11, 2026
A promising rookie year that faded down the stretch
Warren’s transition to the NFL was about as smooth as it gets. He put up six or more catches and 70-plus receiving yards in three of his first four games, then scored a touchdown in three straight weeks. His signature moment came in Berlin on Nov. 9, when he caught eight passes for 99 yards in an overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons.
He was trending toward All-Pro consideration. Then the Colts’ offense hit turbulence. Quarterback Daniel Jones played through a fractured fibula before tearing his Achilles on Dec. 7, and Warren’s production dipped hard as a result — he topped 45 yards just once and scored only one touchdown over his final seven games. Indianapolis started 8-2 but missed the playoffs.
Warren still closed out the year with 76 catches for 817 yards and four touchdowns, numbers that earned him a Pro Bowl nod despite the second-half slide.
| Category | 2025 Total | Team Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Receptions | 76 | 2nd |
| Receiving Yards | 817 | 2nd |
| Touchdowns | 4 | — |
| NFL TE Rank (Rec/Yds) | Top 7 | — |
Why the target share could grow even more
The math behind a bigger Warren workload isn’t complicated. Indianapolis traded Pittman to the Pittsburgh Steelers in March, closing out his six-year run with the franchise. Pittman had led the Colts with 112 targets in his final season, and that volume has to go somewhere.
Alec Pierce is currently the presumptive No. 1 receiver after signing a four-year extension in the wake of Pittman’s trade, but his availability for the start of the season is genuinely uncertain. Pierce underwent a cleanup procedure on his ankle in March, and while the Colts initially targeted a return around training camp, general manager Chris Ballard said this week that the team still isn’t placing a firm timeline on Pierce’s return, according to ESPN. If Pierce’s ramp-up drags into the regular season, Warren’s target share only climbs further.
Scheme-wise, the appeal is straightforward. Warren’s size at 6-foot-6 lets Steichen line him up all over the formation — in-line, in the slot, even out wide — which creates matchup problems no matter what a defense sends out. A jump from featured weapon to true focal point of the passing game isn’t a stretch for a player built like that.
What comes next
With Jones expected back at quarterback and the offense otherwise healthier than it was down the stretch last season, Warren has a real chance to put together a full 17-game version of what he flashed early in his rookie year. The early buzz out of camp suggests the Colts plan to make sure he gets every opportunity to do it.
