The Indianapolis Colts did not play any of their starters or second-string players in Saturday’s preseason finale against the Bengals, allowing players fighting for roster spots at the bottom of the depth chart to make their final auditions.
There were several strong performances in Indy’s 41-14 victory over Cincinnati, including undrafted free agent running back Ulysses Bentley IV.
The rookie out of Ole Miss rushed for only 32 yards, but scored twice in the first half, capping off a strong showing as he pushed for a place with the Colts.
Indy’s current depth chart has Bentley on the outside looking in. He’s listed as the fifth running back behind Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Goodson, DJ Giddens and Khalil Herbert. Although, there is a window of an opportunity, as Goodson is dealing with an elbow injury which could linger into the opening weeks of the season.
As a result, if the Colts deem Bentley to be more valuable than Herbert (who’s been less than impressive in his first season in Indianapolis) then Bentley may find himself on the initial roster.
The practice squad is also a possibility, although with the strength of the Colts’ depth chart at running back, opportunities to suit up in the regular season would likely only come if there were injuries at the top.
As a whole, Bentley had a preseason he can be satisfied with. Across all three games, he carried the ball 22 times for 94 yards and two touchdowns while also catching two passes for 14 yards.
Whether he’s able to stick around in Indy or not, Bentley is highly likely to find an opportunity to play in the NFL as a potential deadline day addition. NFL teams must whittle their rosters down to 53 players on Aug. 26.
