The Indianapolis Colts added a familiar name to their receiver room on Tuesday, announcing they have signed Quez Watkins to the practice squad while releasing cornerback Elijah Culp to make room.
The move gives Indianapolis a veteran option at a position that has been thinned by injury, even if Watkins arrives without a regular-season snap since 2023.
Watkins, 28, was a sixth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020 out of Southern Mississippi.
Listed at six foot and 193 pounds, he spent the bulk of his early career in Philadelphia and developed into a useful complementary receiver, primarily in the slot but with enough experience outside to be flexible.
Across 49 games and 25 starts with the Eagles, Steelers and Cardinals, he has caught 98 passes for 1,249 yards and six touchdowns, an average of 12.7 yards per reception.
He has also returned 14 kickoffs for 200 yards and added six catches for 55 yards in five postseason appearances.
His peak years came early. After a modest rookie season, Watkins posted his best production in 2021, then remained part of the Eagles’ rotation through a Super Bowl run. His role narrowed after that.
In 2023, he played nine games and finished with 15 receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown, the last time he appeared in a regular-season contest.
He finished the final year of his original four-year, $3.5 million rookie deal in Philadelphia, then bounced around the league looking for another opening.
Pittsburgh signed him to a one-year, $1.3 million contract in 2024, waived him out of the preseason and later brought him back to the practice squad. He never played a game for the Steelers.
He later caught on with Arizona, returned to the Eagles on a futures contract in January and was released again coming out of this year’s preseason. Most of 2025 was spent on Philadelphia’s practice squad without a game-day elevation.
Culp’s stay in Indianapolis was brief. The Colts had signed the undrafted corner on Sept. 29 after he spent the offseason and training camp with Arizona. He played college football at Austin Peay, Troy, Charlotte and James Madison.
For the Colts, the signing is low-risk depth. Alec Pierce is on injured reserve with an ankle injury, Keenan Allen sat out the team’s London win over Washington with a groin issue, and Darius Slayton has yet to make his Indianapolis debut.
Watkins will not automatically climb the depth chart, but a practice-squad spot lets the club evaluate a receiver who already has 1,249 career yards and playoff experience while the active roster sorts itself out.
