The Indianapolis Colts are set to host the Chicago Bears for a preseason matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday night.
While it isn’t clear whether the starters will be playing, all eyes would be on rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson if he’s on the field. So there’s no need to tell readers to watch for him.
With training camp officially over, only the preseason stands between the Colts and games that actually matter.
Here’s a look at six players to watch during Saturday night’s matchup against the Bears:
1
WR Amari Rodgers
With Ashton Dulin out for the season, there will be a handful of wideouts competing for the final one or two spots in the room. Rodgers has had a solid showing at camp thus far and made some plays against the Bears during joint practices this week, including a deep touchdown from Anthony Richardson in 1-on-1 drills. We’ll see if he can create some space in the competition.
2
TE Will Mallory
We should be expected to see the debut of the fifth-round rookie pick against the Bears. He missed most of camp due to a hamstring injury but returned this week in time for joint practices. With other injuries hitting the tight end room, Mallory has a chance to make some noise.
3
OL Arlington Hambright
Hambright was arguably the best offensive lineman for the Colts in the preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills working as the second-team left tackle. With Will Fries dealing with a calf injury, Hambright saw time as the starting right guard during joint training camp practices. If Fries is out again, we could see Hambright with the starting offensive line.
4
DE Titus Leo
A sixth-round pick, Leo hasn’t been making a whole lot of noise during camp. However, the season-ending injury to Genard Avery could allow the rookie to see more snaps during the second preseason game. He’s uber athletic and showed some juice during the opener. He’ll be trying to carve out a role in the competition at defensive end.
5
CB Darius Rush
After taking back a pick-six during the preseason opener against the Bills, the fifth-round rookie pick did it again during joint training camp practice with the Bears. Though he’s been working mostly with the second and third-team defenses, Rush can continue to climb the depth chart with another solid showing.
6
S Nick Cross
Cross has been a true standout at training camp this offseason, mostly filling in for the injured Julian Blackmon, who returned to practice this week. He continued to have a strong showing during joint practices with the Bears at Grand Park. A second-year breakout would be huge for both the Colts and Cross, and he’ll be one to watch during Saturday night’s game.
