The Colts will be without Ashton Dulin on Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs, and the loss takes away more than a depth receiver. It removes their starting kickoff returner and a key gunner on punt coverage from a prime-time road game in Week 2.
Shane Steichen said Friday that Dulin will miss the game because of an ankle injury, after the 27-year-old sat out all three practices this week and wore a sizable brace on his left ankle. Steichen called him week-to-week, which leaves the Colts with no clear timetable beyond the immediate absence in Indianapolis.
The timing matters because the rest of the offense is moving in the other direction. Anthony Richardson Sr. was back on the practice field Thursday after missing Wednesday with a groin issue, and Alec Pierce was cleared to play Sunday after missing Thursday. The Colts got Pierce’s first full practice since the end of last season on Wednesday, a sign he is still climbing back from the ankle and heel surgery he had in late March.
That leaves Dulin as the one notable availability loss from a week in which the Colts otherwise gained momentum. Richardson said the groin tweak came while lifting weights early in the week, and Steichen said he is good now. Pierce, who played 32 of 54 snaps in the Colts’ 41-23 home loss to the Ravens and logged 59% of the snaps, is also ready to go, Steichen said.
Still, Dulin’s absence matters in a different way. Special teams jobs do not always draw the spotlight until one is gone, and Dulin’s role on kickoff returns and punt coverage is the sort of assignment that can tilt field position without touching the box score. With Week 2 on Sunday night, the Colts now have to sort out that piece while keeping the rest of the roster healthy enough to avoid more late-week surprises.
For now, the clearest read is simple: Dulin is out, Richardson is back, and Pierce is available. The Colts have the bodies they want for the offense, but they are going into Kansas City without one of the players who helps them win the hidden yards that decide close games.
