Laquon Treadwell vs. Offensive Usage: What the Colts’ new deal indicates
Laquon treadwell re-signed with the Indianapolis Colts on Friday, a move that fits two different versions of his recent role with the team. One version is a wide receiver who did not record a reception in 2025; the other is a special teams regular who logged far more snaps there than on offense. Placing those two roles side by side answers a specific question: what, exactly, did Indianapolis prioritize by bringing him back on a one-year contract?
Laquon Treadwell’s Colts stint: roster movement and a special-teams-heavy footprint
The Colts described Laquon Treadwell as a wide receiver and special teams ace when announcing the re-signing Friday, while also noting his standing in the locker room as a “highly respected player. ” The 30-year-old has appeared in 12 games over the past two seasons with Indianapolis after initially joining the club in training camp prior to the 2024 season. From there, his path ran through the practice squad in 2024 and again in 2025 before he was signed to the 53-man roster in November.
His 2025 workload underscores why Indianapolis could frame the move as much more about coverage units than route running. In 2025, Treadwell played 36 snaps on offense and 141 snaps on special teams. He did not record a reception, yet he still produced eight special teams stops and was credited with contributing heavily on the Colts’ kickoff coverage and punt coverage units.
The one-year deal with Indy: a return framed around special teams
The agreement is a one-year contract reached Friday, and the usage details from 2025 set expectations for what that contract is designed to buy. In that season, Treadwell was used almost exclusively on special teams and did not record a target across 10 regular-season games. Put plainly, the deal follows a year in which his involvement in the passing game was effectively absent, even as his presence remained meaningful elsewhere.
Indianapolis’ coverage performance provides a concrete backdrop for that choice. The team’s kickoff coverage allowed 25. 6 yards per return, ranking 13th in the NFL, and its punt coverage allowed 6. 3 yards per return, ranking second. The club tied Treadwell’s contributions directly to those units, which helps explain how a player can be re-signed even without receiving production in the prior season.
Indianapolis Colts comparison: special teams snaps and coverage results outweigh receiver stats
Viewed as competing explanations for the same transaction, Treadwell’s offense and special teams profiles point to a single through line. The offensive side offers limited evidence of impact in 2025: 36 snaps, no reception, and no targets across 10 regular-season games. The special teams side, by contrast, includes 141 snaps and eight special teams stops, plus explicit linkage to strong punt and solid kickoff coverage metrics.
The contrast is clearest when the information is put into the same frame, using only the measurable details provided about 2025:
| Category | Offense | Special teams |
|---|---|---|
| Snaps | 36 | 141 |
| Ball production | No reception | Eight special teams stops |
| Passing-game involvement | Did not record a target across 10 regular-season games | Used almost exclusively |
| Unit outcomes tied to his role | Not specified | Kickoff coverage: 25. 6 yards/return allowed (13th); Punt coverage: 6. 3 yards/return allowed (2nd) |
Analysis: Applying the same evaluative criteria to both sides—workload plus measurable outcomes—tilts the meaning of the signing toward special teams. Offensive usage exists in the record, but it is small and lacks counting production. Special teams usage is larger, comes with recorded stops, and is attached to coverage units that the team itself highlighted with league rankings.
That does not prove Treadwell will never contribute offensively; the available facts only describe what happened in 2025 and how the Colts framed his impact when re-signing him Friday. Still, the ratio of snaps and the presence of unit-level performance markers make it hard to interpret the move as receiver depth first and foremost.
The comparison establishes a clear finding: the Colts’ decision to bring back Laquon treadwell on a one-year deal reads as a bet on continuity in coverage units, not a wager on immediate receiving production. The next test of that interpretation will be how Indianapolis deploys him after Friday’s re-signing. If the Colts maintain anything close to the 141-to-36 special teams-to-offense snap split from 2025, the comparison suggests his roster value will continue to be defined primarily by special teams impact.
