A week after a near fumble, Colts WR Laquon Treadwell's lesson vs. Chiefs saves game
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INDIANAPOLIS – Laquon Treadwell learned his lesson.
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Three years removed from his last NFL catch back in the 2023 season, the 31-year-old NFL journeyman snagged a 48-yard bomb from Colts quarterback Daniel Jones in overtime last Sunday under the lights in Kansas City, propelling the Colts into the red zone with a chance to win the game.
The problem? Treadwell slipped coming down with it and bobbled it around in his hands. In an attempt to gain an extra yard or two, he got back up and had the ball punched out by a Chiefs defender before Kansas City pounced on what they believed to be a game-winning strip. In reality, officials ruled Treadwell had been narrowly downed by a fingertip or two, but the lesson stayed.
And so Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, again with the Colts on their own side of the field, again with head coach Shane Steichen and quarterback Daniel Jones needing a chunk of yards to advance into scoring position while trailing with under two minutes left in regulation, Treadwell’s number was called.
The 2016 first-round pick cut on a 20-yard in-breaking route over the middle and saw the ball coming his way, and Treadwell watched it into his hands and skidded to a stop on the turf.
“I told myself, ‘I’m gonna stay down this time,’” Treadwell chuckled. “I’m not getting up. It’s funny, (Colts wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne) was like, ‘Why didn’t you get it on the run?’ But I’m like, ‘Yo, I said I learned my lesson. I’m gonna stay down.’”
The ball was Treadwell's first target all game, though that’s nothing compared to not seeing a single one for more than two seasons. Treadwell saw just three targets in 2023 while with the Ravens, making a single catch. In his first two seasons with the Colts (2024 and 2025), the ball never even went his way in his 43 offensive snaps logged.
Sunday, trailing by a point with just more than 90 seconds to go and his team facing the prospect of falling to 0-3, Treadwell came through when Jones finally looked his way.
“Man, it’s been amazing, just showing that the work is paying off, just the consistency of the same mindset,” he said. “That’s years of just keeping grinding and working all summer and spring with Daniel. And after the play, when we were lining up for the field goal, Daniel turned to me and said, ‘I knew I could trust you in that moment.’ And that meant the most. It means that work, showing up, being consistent and spending extra time watching film, it’s all paying off."
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: A week after a near fumble, Colts WR Laquon Treadwell's lesson vs. Chiefs saves game
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