McGowan carried the ball five times for 17 yards in Thursday's 13-13 preseason tie with the Patriots. He also lost a fumble.
The rookie seventh-round pick got the start in the Colts' backfield with Jonathan Taylor held out and DJ Giddens (hamstring) sidelined, but McGowan didn't exactly impress in his opportunity. Taylor's the unquestioned RB1 for Indy, if not the centerpiece of the offense, but if he were to suffer an injury, McGowan could find himself handling the bulk of the early-down and goal-line work in the backfield with Giddens having done little to establish himself as a rookie last year.