Lucas Oil Stadium is used to switching between sports. Since opening in August 2008, the Indianapolis venue has played host to football, basketball, soccer and innumerable other activities.
This month, however, the home of the Indianapolis Colts is taking on an unprecedented challenge: swimming’s U.S. Olympic Trials.
Yes, the same venue where Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew was slinging passes five short months ago will welcome Caeleb Dressel, Katie Ledecky and others beginning June 15. Wednesday afternoon, USA Swimming gave fans a peek behind the curtain at Lucas Oil Stadium’s stunning aquatic makeover.
A time-lapse video depicted crews tearing up the stadium floor and putting in three Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Indianapolis has long been a favorite destination for the Olympic swim trials, but this will be the city’s first time hosting the event since 2000. Omaha has hosted the last four in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2021, respectively.
Swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris is scheduled to begin on July 27.
Andy Dalton was dubbed the best backup 12 months ago. Heās no longer considered the best after all the shuffling that went on this offseason. Crowning Dalton No. 1 might not look good now, but it didnāt help that he only played one game last year as Bryce Youngās backup with the Carolina Panthers. It was, however, an impressive 361-yard performance against the Seattle Seahawks.
Weāll pat ourselves on the back for ranking Gardner Minshew II No. 3 last year. He was a first down away from guiding the Indianapolis Colts to the postseason after replacing an injured Anthony Richardson. Expect Minshew to be ranked high again on this yearās list, but there will be plenty of new names. Our new No. 1 backup wasnāt even on the list last year.
A few rookies drafted in the first round are in the midst of a starting competition, but itās obvious that theyāll be the starter by Week 1 or not long after. With that in mind, we left off rookies Bo Nix, J.J. McCarthy and Drake Maye and added their veteran competitors.
Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, the top two picks in the draft, are expected to be immediate starters. As for Michael Penix Jr., heās expected to start his career as Kirk Cousinsās backup.
Letās find out where on this list Penix lands and who will be crowned the No. 1 backup quarterback in the league. Last yearās rankings are in parentheses.
32. Jake Haener, New Orleans Saints
Haener had somewhat of a laidback rookie season as a third-stringer behind Derek Carr and Jameis Winston. With Winston now in Cleveland, Haener, the 2023 fourth-round pick out of Fresno State, got promoted to No. 2.
31. Sean Clifford, Green Bay Packers (31)
Clifford, a 2023 fifth-round pick, only threw one pass during his rookie season. The Packers are taking a gamble by relying on an inexperienced player to back up Jordan Love, but it says something that the team was comfortable with him filling the role for his second season.
30. Easton Stick, Los Angeles Chargers (29)
Stick finally saw game action last season, but the sixth-year veteran had four rough starts, including the embarrassing 63ā21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
29. Josh Johnson, Baltimore Ravens
Johnson has played for 14 NFL teams and is currently in the midst of his second stint with the Ravens. Johnson has had his fair share of impressive games, but at age 38, he might not have much left if heās needed to step in for Lamar Jackson this season.
28. Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders (11)
Mariota is now on his second team since a failed starting stint with the Atlanta Falcons. He wasnāt needed much with the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Washington Commanders are hoping for the same during Danielsās rookie season. Mariota has 74 career starts with the Tennessee Titans and Falcons.
27. Davis Mills, Houston Texans (13)
Mills lost his starting job to Stroud in 2023. / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Mills lost his starting gig after the arrival of C.J. Stroud last season. He could be a decent backup based on his 26 starts with the Texans from 2021 to ā22.
26. Tyson Bagent, Chicago Bears
Bagent made a name for himself as an undrafted rookie last year, delivering an impressive win against the Raiders. But Bagent struggled with consistency throughout his four starts while filling in for Justin Fields.
25. Hendon Hooker, Detroit Lions (26)
Hooker was viewed as a potential first-round prospect last year, but a torn ACL caused him to fall to the third round. Now that heās healthy, heāll slide in as Jared Goffās backup for his second season.
24. Mike White, Miami Dolphins (9)
The Dolphins quickly signed White in free agency last year as insurance for Tua Tagovailoa, who has dealt with injuries early in his career. White wasnāt needed with Tagovailoa playing in every game, but he showed during his New York Jets stint that heās capable of keeping a team afloat in case of emergency.
23. Desmond Ridder, Arizona Cardinals
Ridder is one of a handful of Week 1 starters from last season who ended up on this list. The third-year quarterback struggled to establish a rhythm with the Atlanta Falcons. Perhaps leaving Arthur Smithās offensive scheme will help Ridder find his footing as Kyler Murrayās backup.
22. Mitchell Trubisky, Buffalo Bills (15)
Trubisky in his second stint with the Bills. / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Many Pittsburgh Steelers fans werenāt happy with us ranking Trubisky at No. 15 last year. That turned out to be generous after Trubisky had a rough five games and was benched for Mason Rudolph. But maybe the 2017 No. 2 pick gets back on track during his second stint in Buffalo.
21. Kyle Trask, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (18)
The Buccaneers named Baker Mayfield the starter over Trask last summer and didnāt look back en route to another NFC South title. Trask, the 2021 second-round pick, is a bit of a mystery, but it might say something that the team considered starting him a year ago.
20. Cooper Rush, Dallas Cowboys (6)
Rush had competition last year after the team traded for Trey Lance, the 2021 No. 3 pick of the San Francisco 49ers. But the team kept him as the No. 2 behind Dak Prescott and re-signed him this offseason for the same role. Rush is best remembered for his five starts in ā22.
19. Tyrod Taylor, New York Jets (14)
Taylor has had a solid career as a reliable backup who tends to protect the football and runs an offense efficiently. He might play it too safe at times, but he rarely makes his coaches pull their hair out. There were lots of frustrations about Zach Wilsonās performance last year after Aaron Rodgers went down.
18. Jarrett Stidham, Denver Broncos (16)
Stidham had mixed results in his two starts after the team decided to pull the plug on Russell Wilson, who was released in March. With the tough circumstances, Stidham passed for 496 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also started two games for the Raiders in 2022.
17. Kenny Pickett, Philadelphia Eagles
The 2022 first-round pick started a combined 24 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but his lack of arm strength and skittish performances led to Pittsburgh trading him to Philadelphia to make room for Wilson. In those starts, Pickett had a 14ā10 record, completing 62.6% of his passes with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
16. Mac Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jones never lived up to his first-round selection with the Patriots. / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
The 2021 first-round pick failed to get on the same page with his teammates on the field and with Bill Belichick the past two seasons as the Patriotsā starter. There were high hopes for Jones after an impressive rookie season in ā21, when he passed for 3,801 passing yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
15. Mason Rudolph, Tennessee Titans
Rudolph was left off this list last year because he was the third-stringer in Pittsburgh behind Pickett and Trubisky. He ended up being the better of the three, guiding the Steelers to a late three-game winning streak to sneak into the postseason. Rudolph averaged 238 passing yards in those three starts with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
14. Jimmy Garoppolo, Los Angeles Rams
Garoppoloās days as a starter are likely over after one season with the Raiders. Heāll get a fresh start under the guidance of Sean McVay, who helped reignite Baker Mayfieldās career a few years back. Garoppolo, 32, went from standing in the Ramsā way as the starter for the 49ers to becoming the backup to Matthew Stafford. He has played in 81 career games with 63 starts during 10 NFL seasons.
13. Joshua Dobbs, San Francisco 49ers(19)
Dobbsās chaotic 2023 season will be best remembered for guiding the Vikings to a victory against the Falcons five days after being traded by the Cardinals. Dobbs also had a memorable win against the Dallas Cowboys as a member of the Cardinals. But Dobbs is a bit erratic at times, but his highs tend to win games and it helps that he received guidance from Vikings coach Kevin OāConnell last season and now will get to learn from 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan.
12. Carson Wentz, Kansas City Chiefs
Wentz is in a good situation in Kansas City backing up Patrick Mahomes. / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
Wentz helped the Rams defeat the 49ers in Week 18, sending Stafford to Detroit to face his former team in the wild-card round. After waiting months for another opportunity, Wentz proved in the lone start he has plenty left to offer.
11. Jameis Winston, Cleveland Browns (5)
Winston, the 2015 No. 1 pick, continues to be erratic, but he often gives his team a fighting chance with his gun-slinger mentality. Winston has 80 career starts with 141 touchdowns and 99 interceptions.
10. Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers (1)
Daltonās priority last season was to help Bryce Young get acclimated to life in the NFL. He did step up in the one game Young missed, passing for 361 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 3 against the Seahawks. Dalton has 163 career starts since entering the league in 2011.
9. Jacoby Brissett, New England Patriots (2)
Brissett has developed a reputation for being ready at any moment, which he did with the Patriots to start his career and did with the Colts, Dolphins, Browns and Commanders. Brissett nearly pulled off a comeback victory against the Rams after Sam Howell was benched. The ninth-year veteran has appeared in 79 career games with 48 starts.
8. Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (7)
Darnold moved up the rankings because he spent a year learning from Shanahan and will now get to work with OāConnell, who did wonders with Dobbs and Nick Mullens last season. Darnold did have a rocky start in the Week 18 matchup against Wentz and the Rams, passing for 189 yards and one score.
7. Drew Lock, New York Giants (17)
Lock kept the Seahawksā playoff hopes alive by guiding them to a victory against the Eagles to snap a three-game losing streak. Lock might be suited for the backup life with how quickly he can get hot on the field. But his lows caused him to flame out as a starter with the Broncos. Heāll now get to push Daniel Jones in practices with the Giants.
6. Sam Howell, Seattle Seahawks
Howell has struggled to protect the football and avoid sacks. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Howell is another streaky quarterback who can push the ball downfield. But he struggled with protecting the football and avoiding sacks during his lone starting season with the Commanders last year. The 2022 fifth-round pick passed for 3,946 yards with 21 touchdowns and 21 touchdowns last season.
5. Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers
Fields could get a chance to compete for the starting job, but all signs point to him opening training camp behind Wilson. If Fields takes the backup role, heāll need to adjust quickly when his number is called. Fieldsās consistency was often an issue with the Chicago Bears, but he had many highs as a three-year starter. He had 40 touchdowns, 30 interceptions and completed 60.3% in 38 starts the past three seasons.
4. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Perhaps this is a bit high for Penix, but obviously the Falcons think highly of him after using their No. 8 pick to draft him in April. That probably also meant many teams had Penix on their radar, leading Atlanta to make the controversial pick. Had he gone elsewhere, Penix appeared ready to be an immediate starter based on his memorable final season at Washington. Instead, heāll wait for his opportunity as Kirk Cousinsās backup.
3. Joe Flacco, Indianapolis Colts
Flacco delivered one of the best comeback stories in recent memory, helping the Browns make the postseason and winning Comeback Player of the Year. He turned back the clock and resembled the quarterback who helped the Ravens beat the 49ers in the Super Bowl. The 39-year-old posted a 5ā1 record, averaged 323.2 passing yards per game and added 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
2. Gardner Minshew II, Las Vegas Raiders (3)
Minshew saved the Coltsā season by stepping up after Anthony Richardson sustained a season-ending shoulder injury after four games. It got rough at times, but Minshew gave the Colts a fighting chance in most games. In his 13 starts, Minshew had 3,305 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Heāll now compete with Aidan OāConnell for the starting job.
1. Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals
Many assumed Cincinnati would falter from the playoff race after Joe Burrow sustained a season-ending wrist injury with seven games left on the schedule. But the Bengals remained in playoff contention through Week 18 because of Browningās sensational performances, including a three-game winning streak. He didnāt just keep the team afloat, he elevated the offense by averaging 276.5 passing yards and completing 70.37% of his passes in his seven starts. He outdueled Trevor Lawrence on Monday Night Football with 354 passing yards and one touchdown.
The entire AFC is chasing the Kansas City Chiefs. Last week, some teams closed the gap during the 2024 NFL draft. Others saw it only grow wider.
But which teams did the best? Which added the most potential while also finding immediate starters? And, conversely, who failed to find enough help, making them vulnerable?
We analyzed and ranked all 16 of the AFC draft classes, going from least-inspiring to most.
16. Tennessee Titans
Tennessee did a nice job picking up OT JC Latham in the first round to bolster its offensive line, but the rest of the draft was underwhelming. The Titans gambled big on DT TāVondre Sweat despite his off-field concerns, and then selected three linebackers as the rounds clicked off. Not enough upside.
15. Buffalo Bills
The Bills traded back twice in the first round before ultimately selecting WR Keon Coleman with the first pick of the second round. Buffalo then decided to pass on a litany of other talented wideouts, instead loading up on the offensive line with four picks. The Day 2 choices of S Cole Bishop and DT DeWayne Carter were their best.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars
With a big need at cornerback, the Jaguars chose to select Thomas with their first pick.
Scott Clause / USA TODAY NETWORK
Jacksonville had the opportunity to draft any corner in the draft, but traded back to hoard picks. Fair enough. However, the Jaguars then took WR Brian Thomas Jr. instead of addressing a major need. Afterwards, Jacksonville took a kicker and a reserve running back, passing on more high-upside talent. Not awful, but not great.
13. Cleveland Browns
The Browns were once again without their first-round pick as a result of the disastrous Deshaun Watson deal, which gets hilariously worse by the year. Clevelandās first pick came Friday, when it took a high-upside defensive end in Michael Hall Jr. despite his lack of statistics at Ohio State. Down the board, the Browns finished the draft with three defensive players, hoping to find depth.
12. Denver Broncos
If Bo Nix turns out to be a quality quarterback, my team grade is going to look silly. If heās not, the Broncos are going to be spinning their wheels for the next few years. The Broncos were also without a second-round pick before taking edge rusher Jonah Elliss and receiver Troy Franklin in the middle rounds. Not a bad haul, but everything hinges on the 24-year-old quarterback.
11. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins decided to go for an edge rusher in the first round, selecting Penn Stateās Chop Robinson to bolster depth after injuries to Bradley Chubb and Jaelen Phillips. In the second round, general manager Chris Grier took Miamiās future left tackle in Patrick Paul, a three-year starter at Houston. On Day 3, the Dolphins took another running back in Jaylen Wright. An intriguing class.
10. Houston Texans
The Texans didnāt have a first-round pick after trading back with the Minnesota Vikings, but they still had a nice haul. Houston got a pair of defensive backs on Day 2 with CB Kamari Lassiter and S Calen Bullock, before getting great value in Ohio State TE Cade Stover. Ultimately, Houston added a few potential starters plus depth.
9. Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati loaded up in the trenches, while also taking a pair of boom-or-bust SEC prospects. The Bengals used three of their first four picks on offensive and defensive linemen, including Georgiaās Amarius Mims in the first round. Mims is incredibly talented, but only started eight games for the Bulldogs. In the third round, Cincinnati gambled on WR Jermaine Burton, who has great film but character-driven red flags.
8. New York Jets
Protecting Aaron Rodgers was the top priority for the Jets, who picked Fashanu in the first round.
Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Jets started strong by taking OT Olu Fashanu to lock down the left side for years to come. However, after not having a pick in the second round due to the Aaron Rodgers trade, New York took a pair of running backs. The Jets also took WR Malachi Corley, a 215-pounder who can create yards after the catch. It was an offensively driven class with upside.
7. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs hit on their two biggest needs in the first two rounds, trading up for WR Xavier Worthy and OT Kingsley Suamataia. On Day 3, Kansas City found quality value in S Jaden Hicks and CB Kamal Hadden, upgrading an already strong secondary despite the loss of LāJarius Sneed in a trade with the Titans.
6. Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore made an already strong roster even better, utilizing all three days of the draft. After getting good value at No. 30 with CB Nate Wiggins, the Ravens continued to take ready-made contributors in edge rusher Adisa Isaac, OT Roger Rosengarten and WR Devontez Walker, along with an intriguing talent in CB TJ Tampa.
5. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts understood their assignment going into the draft. They had to make second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson comfortable, and that appears to have been achieved. GM Chris Ballard landed receivers Adonai Mitchell and Anthony Gould along with a pair of mid-round offensive linemen. Indianapolis also added to its pass rush with edge Laiatu Latu, a potential star off the edge.
4. New England Patriots
The Patriots drafted a pair of receivers after selecting Maye with the third pick in the first round.
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
New England did exactly what it needed to in the draft. The Patriots resisted the temptation to trade back and took Drake Maye as their next franchise quarterback. Then they spent the rest of the draft surrounding him with an improved offense ranging from receivers JaāLynn Polk and Javon Baker, to a pair of offensive linemen in Caeden Wallace and Layden Robinson.
3. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders were patient, and that paid off. Instead of trading up into the top 10 for a quarterback, veteran GM Tom Telesco stayed at No. 13 and tabbed TE Brock Bowers. On the second day, Telesco upgraded the offensive front with G Jackson Powers-Johnson and OT Delmar Glaze out of Maryland. The Raiders still need a quarterback, but when they find him, heāll be in a better spot.
2. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers needed to find talent across the board in this class after losing receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, among others. To that end, Los Angeles nabbed Notre Dame OT Joe Alt at No. 5 before trading up for WR Ladd McConkey in the second round. On Day 3, the choices of CB Cam Hart and WR Brenden Rice represent great value.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
Fautanu will likely start at tackle for the Steelers.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nobody in either conference had a better draft than GM Omar Khan and the Steelers. Pittsburgh found a litany of offensive linemen who could start soon between OT Troy Fautanu, C Zach Frazier and G Mason McCormick. Then thereās the third-round choices of WR Roman Wilson and LB Payton Wilson, both excellent values. Home run stuff from Pittsburgh.
In the NFL, things change quickly. Just ask the AFC South.
A year ago, the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts each had new quarterbacks and first-time head coaches. While the future was considered bright, the present was thought to be bleak.
Fast-forward one season, and the Texans are defending AFC South champs while anything less than a playoff appearance in Indianapolis would be considered a failure.
Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars were viewed as Super Bowl contenders in 2023, only to fall apart after an 8ā3 start to miss the playoffs. Now, will they play as they did early last season before succumbing to injuries, or are they a group about to take a step back?
We took a look at all four AFC South rosters and ranked them, giving a snapshot of what to expect in 2024.
1. Houston Texans
In one year, the Texans went from having a roster nobody thought could win six games, to a team which might contend to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIX.
Of course, the driving force behind Houstonās sensational turnaround is quarterback C.J. Stroud, who threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns to help lead the Texans to a shocking AFC South title, along with a playoff win over the Cleveland Browns.
With Stroud under center, Houstonās offense is one of the leagueās scariest. This was only bolstered by the acquisition of All-Pro receiver Stefon Diggs, who joins Nico Collins and second-year speedster Tank Dell in the receiver room.
Defensively, the Texans have Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. rushing off the edges with Denico Autry manning the inside of their front. In the secondary, youth is serving with corner Derek Stingley Jr. and safety Jalen Pitre patrolling the deep end.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville may have been a huge disappointment in 2023, but the roster is still teeming with above-average talent.
For the Jaguars, their rebound effort will be spearheaded by quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who last season struggled with 21 touchdowns against 14 interceptions. Lawrence, entering his third season alongside coach Doug Pederson, has ample weaponry around him including running back Travis Etienne Jr.; tight end Evan Engram; and receivers Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis and incoming first-rounder Brian Thomas Jr.
On the other side, Jacksonville has one of the leagueās better fronts, headlined by edge rusher Josh Allen and 2022 No. 1 pick Travon Walker. General manager Trent Baalke also added to the line with free-agent signing Arik Armstead coming over from the San Francisco 49ers.
The big question is in the secondary, where the Jaguars are relying on Tyson Campbell and Andre Cisco to prop up some question marks, including newcomers Darnell Savage Jr. and Ronald Darby.
3. Indianapolis Colts
Much of the Colts' future will hinge on keeping Richardson healthy.
Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY
So much of how the Colts work out will be determined by second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson. Richardson, who was Indianapolisās first-round pick in 2023, only started four games before being shelved with a shoulder injury.
Before getting hurt, Richardson flashed dynamic talent, accounting for seven touchdowns (including four as a runner) despite leaving two of his four games before halftime.
The talent around him isnāt star-studded, but it's considerable. The Colts re-signed wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who alongside second-year man Josh Downs and rookie Adonai Mitchell form an intriguing trio. The offensive line is also solid, led by center Ryan Kelly and All-Pro Quenton Nelson.
The defense is led by a front including star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and first-round edge rusher Laiatu Latu, but is there enough punch otherwise? The secondary is also a concern as Kenny Moore II is a terrific slot corner, but the rest of the group has concerns abound.
4. Tennessee Titans
The Titans added talent this offseason, headlined by receiver Calvin Ridley and corner LāJarius Sneed. There were also other notable offensive additions including center Lloyd Cushenberry, first-round left tackle JC Latham and running back Tony Pollard, but it still isn't enough to get out of the AFC South basement.
Tennessee has major question marks along the offensive line despite adding Latham and 2023 first-rounder Peter Skoronski. The Titansā right side remains in flux, and Will Levis under center is an unknown, having thrown for eight touchdowns while completing 58.4% of his passes across nine starts last season.
On defense, Jeffery Simmons is an elite defensive tackle but no longer has Denico Autry playing alongside him. The edges are also thin behind Harold Landry III. In the secondary, Sneed gives Tennessee a legitimate top-end corner, but the rest of the unit has either unsettled starters or depth concerns.
Tennessee isnāt terrible, but itās not a playoff team either.
