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Colts add WR Mecole Hardman Jr., P Thomas Morstead to practice squad

By Thomson Reuters Oct 20, 2026 | 3:55 PM

By Field Level Media

Oct 20 (Field Level Media) – The Indianapolis Colts signed two veteran players, wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. and punter Thomas Morstead, to their practice ​squad on Tuesday.

The Colts also released rookie wide receiver ‌Eli Pancol from the practice squad. He originally was signed to the practice squad on Nov. 18, 2025, and re-signed on Sept. 23.

Hardman, 28, played in two games last season for the Buffalo Bills. He did ‌not ​record a reception on his one target. ⁠He returned two punts ⁠for 4 yards and one kickoff for 61 yards.

A Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro (return specialist) as a rookie in 2019, Hardman has 178 career catches for 2,302 yards and ​16 touchdowns, as well as 26 rushing attempts for 190 yards and three TDs in 82 regular-season games (28 starts) with ⁠the Kansas City Chiefs (2019-24), New York ⁠Jets (2023) and Bills (2025).

He has returned 91 punts for ​823 yards and one touchdown, and 46 kickoffs for 1,134 yards ​and one TD.

Hardman won three Super Bowl titles with ‌the Chiefs in the 2019, 2022 and 2023 seasons. Kansas City selected Hardman in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Georgia.

Morstead, 40, played last season for the ⁠San Francisco 49ers and punted 44 times for a 43.6-yard average in 17 games.

He has played for five teams and averaged 46.7 yards ⁠on 1,004 punts ‌in 272 games over 17 seasons. Morstead ⁠was a Pro Bowl selection in 2012 with ​the ‌New Orleans Saints.

New Orleans selected Morstead in the ​fifth round ⁠of the 2009 draft out of SMU. The Saints won the Super Bowl that season. He played 12 seasons in New Orleans and then moved on to the Jets (2021, 2023-24), Atlanta Falcons (2021), Miami Dolphins (2022) and 49ers (2025).

Pancol, 26, has not appeared in an NFL ​game.

(–Field Level Media)