After the Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up their preseason action with a 19-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, they began the process of trimming their roster to the 53-man regular season limit. One of their first cuts, announced on Friday, was a former Indianapolis Colts draft pick.
RB Evan Hull, a fifth-round pick of the Colts back in 2023, was among the first batch of 11 cuts on Friday. He played his college ball at Northwestern and impressed at the 2023 Combine with great testing numbers and a hard-nosed, finisher’s mentality. Famously, he finished every rep in the position drills by running the ball all the way to the end zone, showcasing his competitive edge even in that setting.
Hull finished the preseason with the Steelers with eight carries for 33 yards and two receptions for eight yards. In his Colts career, he played in two games, getting one carry for one yard and catching one pass for six yards. He suffered a season-ending foot injury in the 2023 season opener and spent the 2024 season on the Colts practice squad.
The Indianapolis Colts Turn the Page to Daniel Jones at Quarterback
David Jensen/GettyCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – AUGUST 21: Evan Hull #38 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs the ball during the second half of an NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 21, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
The No. 4 overall pick in 2023, Anthony Richardson Sr., came into the offseason with a lot to prove. The most athletic quarterback in NFL Combine history, Richardson has had an up-and-down career in the league thus far. He was seen as a project when drafted, needing reps, development, and time to reach his sky-high potential. Though he’s had several stretches of good play in his young career, his low completion percentage and inability to stay healthy meant the Colts felt they couldn’t completely rely on him entering the season.
To provide him with some competition, the Colts signed former Giants QB Daniel Jones to a one-year deal with decent money. Head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard both said repeatedly it was an open competition between the two passers. To his credit, Richardson took major strides this offseason, showcasing improved mechanics and accuracy that greatly improved his down-to-down consistency. However, it wasn’t perfect, and he still struggled with things that many young quarterbacks do.
Ultimately, the Colts settled on Jones as the starter, despite Richardson having the better camp. Injuries played a factor here again, as Richardson missed mini-camp with a shoulder issue and dislocated his finger in the Colts’ first preseason game.
Pressure is On For Colts Leadership This Season
In two seasons as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, Shane Steichen sits with a 17-17 record. He went 9-8 in 2023 and 8-9 last year, sitting on the fringes of the playoffs each season. The Colts haven’t made the playoffs since 2020, and pressure is mounting to rectify that streak.
Jones won the starting job because the staff believes he’s the more stable, less high-variance player between him and Richardson. Despite Richardson’s higher upside, they need to win now to keep their jobs. If Jones can’t help them do that, they’ll likely turn to Richardson sooner rather than later in the hopes that he can.
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