The Indianapolis Colts restructured the contract of left tackle Bernhard Raiman to create additional salary cap space in 2026.
The Indianapolis Colts are setting themselves up for significant financial flexibility for the beginning of the new league year.
This week, they restructured the contract of franchise left tackle Bernhard Raimann, according to Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac, converting $11 million of his 2026 salary into a signing bonus, which opens up $8.25 million in salary cap space in 2026.
Raimann now has a cap hit of $9.2 million for the upcoming season.
Another major factor in creating cap space will be the multi-year deal the Colts are soon to strike with quarterback Daniel Jones, which is in its final stages. Jones currently counts $37.8 million against the cap after being transition tagged, but the Colts' new deal is likely to have heavy guaranteed money, which can lessen his cap hit.
The Colts have already re-signed wide receiver Alec Pierce to a $28.5 million-per-year contract and defensive end Arden Key to a two-year deal worth up to $20 million. Per-year details aren't yet available, and the cap situation is always fluid at a time like this, so we don't know exactly how much cap space the Colts have. However, restructuring Raimann and a new deal for Jones should make it substantial.
With Pierce's deal done and Jones' soon to be as well, this space can now be used to focus on other players around the league who can help the Colts immediately. If they address their more critical needs in free agency, they can fortify their roster with young talent in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Last offseason, ahead of Raimann's fourth year in the NFL, the Colts signed him to a four-year, $25 million extension, making him one of the highest-paid left tackles in the league.
The Colts made Raimann their third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Central Michigan University, selecting him 77th overall.
He has started 56 of 61 games for Indianapolis, and according to Pro Football Focus, was the No. 25 offensive tackle as a rookie, No. 6 in 2023, No. 8 in 2024, and No. 13 in 2025.