Insider: How Colts WR Isaiah McKenzie can elevate his game

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https://www.indystar.com/story/sport...s/70038578007/

INDIANAPOLIS — Isaiah McKenzie’s been through a whirlwind of a week.

The gregarious slot receiver was a fan favorite in Buffalo, a recognizable locker-room presence on a reasonable salary who’s been a part of the Bills for the entirety of the franchise’s emergence from also-rans to perennial AFC East favorites.

McKenzie didn’t expect to be on the lookout for a new NFL home this offseason.

But then it happened, all of a sudden, the signing of two receivers in Buffalo leading to McKenzie’s release last Friday, then a decision to sign with the Colts four days later.


Being released by the Bills wasn’t easy.

“I had a sad moment, because I had a great time there, great organization, great fan base, and everything about that place was amazing,” McKenzie said. “It came to an end, and I understand, all good things don’t last long. … Now, I get to start with a new organization, start making new friends, making new family and bring my game to a good organization that’s ready to take it to the next level.”


The Colts seem like they’re far away from where the Bills are right now.

Indianapolis is coming off a 4-12-1 season, searching for a franchise quarterback like Buffalo has, a player who can give the Colts a fighting chance in matchups with the Josh Allens of the world.

Gardner Minshew signed a backup’s deal with Indianapolis last week, and the Colts are widely expected to draft a quarterback of the future in April.


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From a receiver’s standpoint, the Indianapolis situation offers a lot more uncertainty than McKenzie had in Buffalo, where he caught 42 passes for 423 yards and four touchdowns. Beyond Allen’s obvious gifts and the explosive offense the Bills have built, McKenzie also had an excellent relationship with Allen, developed over five seasons together.

McKenzie isn’t lamenting what he’s lost. Not in the football sense, anyway.



“I think of it this way,” McKenzie said. “I have to get open, I have to catch the football no matter who is throwing me the football, no matter what the circumstances, right? So me, as a receiver, my job is to get open, catch the football. That’s all I worry about.”

Indianapolis needs McKenzie to do plenty of both this season; most likely out of the slot. The Colts already have big-bodied, young outside receivers in Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce, and the diminutive McKenzie (5-8, 173 pounds) has always been more of a slot option because of his lack of size.

“At my height, and what I can do in the slot, I can get more of the slot position than I can outside,” McKenzie said. “If I’m playing in the slot or outside, I’m going to make it happen.”

How the Colts deploy McKenzie is still up in the air.

New Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen prefers to tailor his offense to his quarterbacks, and even though Minshew is in the building now, the looming specter of a rookie could change the offense drastically.


But it was clear the Colts needed a slot receiver after losing Parris Campbell to the Giants, and McKenzie can fill that hole nicely, even if Indianapolis ends up using a later pick on a long-term option out of the slot.

“Can run with the football, catch the football, get open, separation,” McKenzie said. “I bring a lot of energy, a lot of juice. I feel like that’s a start.”

McKenzie’s energy and juice can be infectious — it’s a big reason why he became a fan favorite with the Bills even though he never fully developed into a star as a receiver — and he believes he can add a lot to an offense full of young weapons who are beginning to come into their own.

Before he signed in Indianapolis, McKenzie got the lay of the land from current Colts like Kenny Moore II, Zack Moss and Tony Brown, and he’s confident in his ability to make an impact on the Indianapolis locker room.


“I feel like I’ve got the energy, the vibe, the charisma, the personality to fit in anywhere and adapt to my environment; but not just adapt but change the environment and change the way guys think and feel in a positive way,” McKenzie said. “I’d done a lot of that in Buffalo.”

The Colts could use a veteran like that on the offensive side of the ball.

A player who can help players like Pittman Jr., Pierce, tight end Jelani Woods and any receiver the Colts might pick up in the draft help realize their immense potential.

“When a guy has potential, you can see it, like, ‘Why is he not excelling? Why is not reaching that potential?' Maybe it’s something in between the ears,” McKenzie said. “I was the longest-tenured (in Buffalo), so I felt like I helped a lot of guys in the locker room, so physically they could go out there and play their best football.”

McKenzie would like to take the next step and play his best football in Indianapolis.


Maybe he can make it into his new home.