The Indianapolis Colts have signed wide receiver Eli Pancol to the practice squad, bringing the Pendleton, Indiana, product back to his hometown team after he spent the first two weeks of the 2026 season as a free agent, via the NFL transaction wire.
Pancol, 26, is listed at a towering 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds. He participated in Indianapolis’ 2026 offseason program and training camp after signing a reserve/future contract in January, then was waived when the Colts trimmed the roster at the end of August.
This is a reunion. Pancol first joined the Colts practice squad on Nov. 18, 2025, after beginning his pro career with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent out of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Jacksonville waived him with an injury designation during final cuts that August. Indianapolis later brought him back on a futures deal for 2026.
Pancol is a local story that still resonates. He starred at Pendleton Heights High School before a six-year career at Duke (2019–24), including a missed 2023 season because of an ankle injury.
In 57 games (27 starts) for the Blue Devils, he recorded 130 receptions for 1,710 yards and 14 touchdowns, plus seven carries for 40 yards and two more scores.
His 2024 season was his best: 60 catches, 798 yards, nine touchdowns, third-team All-ACC honors, and the ACC’s Brian Piccolo Award as comeback player of the year.
The timing makes sense for Indianapolis. The Colts also signed veteran wideout Darius Slayton this week as Alec Pierce is expected to land on injured reserve with a heel injury.
Pancol joins a practice squad that already includes receivers Anthony Gould and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.
A practice-squad spot does not guarantee game action, but it keeps a familiar, size-and-speed body in the building while the receiving corps deals with attrition.
Pancol has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game.
For a hometown kid who took the long route through Duke, an injury, two training camps, and a midseason practice-squad stint last year, the latest signing is another chance to stay close to home and keep working.
Whether he is elevated in the coming weeks depends on health and performance.
For now, the Colts have added a known quantity with local roots and a productive college résumé to the practice squad.
