Rookie tight ends aren’t supposed to look this comfortable this quickly. Yet from the first days of camp, Indianapolis Colts Tyler Warren has carried himself like a player who already belongs.
Everything about his game has looked natural: the way he works into open space, snatches throws away from his body, runs with vision and power after the catch, and even digs in against defensive linemen as a blocker.
General manager Chris Ballard summed it up bluntly. “We thought he was going to be pretty good, and we think he’s going to be a really good pro,” Ballard said. “I don’t want to put undue expectations on him, but he’s pretty freaking good.”
A Creative Weapon in the Making
GettyTyler Warren was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the No. 14 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
History shows how rare Tyler Warren’s trajectory could be.
Most rookie tight ends take years to truly break out. Even eventual stars like Travis Kelce and George Kittle weren’t immediate forces. The position demands mastering two roles at once: route running like a receiver and blocking like a lineman.
“The tight end position is pretty mentally taxing,” offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. “We ask a lot of our tight ends. Tyler is uniquely talented to handle a lot of that.”
The Colts offensive staff has been deliberate about expanding Warren’s plate. Nothing he’s shown at Grand Park or in preseason action has given them reason to pull back. If anything, it’s encouraged more experimentation.
“As we see (him handle different things)…we start having those unique ideas — those sort of creative ideas about ways to use him, ways to give him opportunities to play ball in a different manner,” Cooter explained.
That creativity is where Warren’s potential X factor status comes in. Warren isn’t just another rookie being eased into the Colts system. In fact, Indianapolis is already designing plays around him, envisioning mismatches and unique alignments that could make him a weekly headache for opposing defenses.
The Bigger Picture
GettyColts rookie tight end Tyler Warren turned heads in the preseason, earning a spot on Pro Football Focus 2025 All-Rookie preseason team and finishing with the highest offensive grade on the roster (86.8).
Tyler Warren’s debut season kicks off Sept. 7, and while the real test comes under the lights, the early signs are hard to ignore. His growth gives new quarterback Daniel Jones another versatile option and gives head coach Shane Steichen a chess piece he can deploy in multiple ways.
“He’s done a great job picking up what’s needed…But we’re really excited about how he’s managed all that, and I think he’s going to have great capability to help us when we get into that week after week game plan mode,” Cooter said.
For Colts fans, the message is clear: Warren isn’t being treated like a typical rookie. He’s being prepared as a player this staff expects to impact games immediately. And that could make him one of the most important new pieces in Indianapolis this season.
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