New Headline: Colts Thrilled with Trade That Enhances Tight End Production

INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts will have their entire tight end room back in 2026. Indianapolis is bringing back veteran tight end Mo Alie-Cox on a one-year deal, a league source confirmed to IndyStar Saturday, to handle the heavy work of putting his hand on the ground next to a tackle and taking on defensive linemen. Alie-Cox’s presence and power at the line of scrimmage allows Indianapolis to move starting tight end Tyler Warren all over the formation, freeing Warren for advantageous matchups in both the running and the passing game.

The Colts also use Alie-Cox, 32, to take advantage of defense’s expectations. When Indianapolis goes heavy, the Colts often find a way to slip out Alie-Cox for a big gain, and he produced 13 catches for 117 yards and a touchdown last season. The role Alie-Cox plays isn’t the kind that turns heads.

But every team in the NFL has a blocking tight end, typically a veteran who has learned the technique and power of blocking in the NFL. Alie-Cox has been that player for the Colts for a long time now; Indianapolis has kept Alie-Cox on the roster for almost a decade now, even though he hasn’t caught more than 20 balls or produced more than 200 yards in a single season since the 2021 campaign. When the Colts did not have a primary pass-catching tight end, the lack of receptions was a larger issue.

The arrival of Warren made everybody’s roles clear. Warren led the team in targets, caught 76 passes for 817 yards and four touchdowns and turned in one of the best rookie seasons by a tight end in the history of the NFL. With Warren’s role as a receiver likely to expand in the wake of the team’s decision to trade Michael Pittman Jr.