Everything you need to know about the Indianapolis Colts' offseason. From salary cap space, free agents, draft capital, and more, this is your one-stop shop for Colts offseason info.
The 2026 offseason has now arrived for every team across the National Football League. After the Seattle Seahawks smothered the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, everyone is focused on how they can be next year's champion.
For the Indianapolis Colts, they first need to focus on achieving a record above .500 before setting their sights on anything more ambitious. It's been three years since they had a winning record (2023), six years since making the playoffs (2020), and 12 years since winning the AFC South (2014).
It's arguably been years since the Colts faced this much of a blend of internal and external pressure to win, so their offseason must be near flawless. Free-agent dollars must be spent again, many in-house free agents must be allowed to walk, and draft picks must have an immediate impact.
With all things considered, here is a Colts fan's roadmap through the offseason.
IMPORTANT DATES
- February 17-March 3: Teams can designate players with franchise or transition tags
- February 23-March 2: NFL Scouting Combine
- March 9-11: The "legal tampering" period of free agency
- March 11: Teams may begin signing outside players beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET
- March 29-April 1: Annual League Meeting
- April 20: Teams with returning head coaches may begin offseason program
- April 23-25: NFL Draft
- May 1-4 or 8-11: Teams may hold a three-day rookie minicamp
- July 15: Deadline for franchise players to sign multiyear contracts with their team. Anything beyond this date may only be for one year
- Mid-July: Training camps may begin
TEAM NEEDS
DEFENSIVE LINE
Under Contract in 2026: Laiatu Latu, DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, JT Tuimoloau, Adetomiwa Adebawore, Tim Smith, Durell Nchami, Viliami Fehoko Jr.
Even if everyone was coming back, this would be the Colts' biggest need. Their 39 sacks tied for 15th in the NFL, and Pro Football Focus graded the defense 21st in pass rushing. The Colts' pass rush was heavily reliant on Latu and Buckner, and while Latu did take a second-year jump, as PFF ranked his 61 pressures 15th among edge rushers in the NFL, it wasn't enough. And Buckner spent two stints on Injured Reserve with a neck injury, appearing in just 10-of-17 games. Latu and Tuimoloau are the only feasible edge rushers under contract in 2026, and Tuimoloau made little impact as a rookie. Buckner and Stewart will be 32 years old when next season begins.
LINEBACKER
Under Contract in 2026: Zaire Franklin, Austin Ajiake, Jaylon Carlies, John Bullock, Joseph Vaughn, Devin Veresuk
Not only were the Colts vulnerable over the middle of the field in coverage, but the lack of playmaking at the second level was painfully clear. Just one Colts linebacker (Germaine Pratt) ranked among the team's top-10 highest-graded defensive players according to PFF. This was comfortably the worst grade of Franklin's career, earning career-worsts in overall grade (38.4), run defense (54.9), coverage (29.9), tackling (47.3), missed tackle rate (13.9%), and stops (39). The Colts had 21 takeaways, and linebackers accounted for just three of them; all from Pratt. Defensive linemen Latu and Stewart had more interceptions between the two of them than the Colts' linebackers had takeaways in total.
OFFENSIVE LINE DEPTH
Under Contract in 2026: Bernhard Raimann, Quenton Nelson, Tanor Bortolini, Matt Goncalves, Jalen Travis, Dalton Tucker, Blake Freeland, Josh Sills, Bill Murray, Bayron Matos, Jack Wilson, LaDarius Henderson, Jimmy Morrissey
The Colts' blocking and offensive line played well overall in 2025, though injuries mounted, and they were unable to counter loaded boxes as the season wore on. This is a big need that needs more focus on being proactive. The starting five is fine, but Tucker and Freeland are their best backups, which is not fine. The Colts need to find someone capable of competing with Travis at right tackle if Smith leaves in free agency and to provide competent play when injuries inevitably occur.
SALARY CAP SITUATION
The Colts currently have a projected $35.6 million in salary cap space (OverTheCap.com), with 60 players under contract. That number will need to grow exponentially, even with the NFL's salary cap expected to go up over $20 million per team this year. The Colts can create more space by either cutting or trading expensive players, or extending expensive players and pushing money to future years or converting cap-allocated figures into bonuses and guarantees. Here are several current player contracts that could be examined.
Contracts to Watch
- CB Charvarius Ward Sr.: 2 years remaining, $44.6 total cap hit, $25M total dead cap. When the season ended, Ward wasn't sure whether he'd retire or not after three concussions in 2025. He told reporters that if he suffers another, he'll likely retire.
- WR Michael Pittman Jr.: 1 year remaining, $29M cap hit, $5M dead cap. Pittman is a solid player, but has the seventh-highest cap hit among NFL wide receivers in 2026.
- DT DeForest Buckner: 1 year remaining, $26.6M cap hit, $20.8M dead cap. Buckner will be 32 years old in 2026, coming off a neck injury that landed him on Injured Reserve twice.
- G Quenton Nelson: 1 year remaining, $24.2M cap hit, $6.2M dead cap. Nelson is the Colts' top extension candidate. If the team makes the move, how they maneuver his contract could open up cap space. A similar extension for Buckner two offseasons ago created over $14M in space.
- DT Grover Stewart: 1 year remaining, $14.3M cap hit, $2M dead cap. Stewart is another extension candidate whose contract could open up more room.
- CB Kenny Moore II: 1 year remaining, $13.1M cap hit, $6.1M dead cap. Moore already helped the Colts by reworking his contract and opening nearly $4 million in space during the season so that the team could land Germaine Pratt. Could the Colts look to trade or release Moore this offseason in an effort to get "younger and faster?"
- QB Anthony Richardson Sr.: 1 year remaining, $10.8M cap hit, fully guaranteed, $4.2M roster bonus. This one is tricky. The writing seems to be on the wall that both sides between the Colts and Richardson need to move on. The Colts could attempt to trade him, but his impaired vision could squash that if it hasn't been resolved. Otherwise, do the Colts eat the nearly $11M and cut Richardson, or ride it out and keep him on board?
- LB Zaire Franklin: 2 years remaining, $18.5M total cap hit, $3.75M total dead cap. Franklin is a lightning rod for fans due to inconsistency on the field and comments made off of it, and his outspoken nature off the field has drawn internal criticism as well. Again, in an effort to get younger and faster, do the Colts move on from their starting MIKE linebacker and pack on some cap space?
- CB Jaylon Jones: 1 year remaining, $3.7M cap hit, $28,370 dead cap. Jones started for former Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley for the first two years of his career, but his game never seemed to curry favor with new coordinator Lou Anarumo in 2025. Injuries played a role, but even when Jones was healthy, he was underutilized. He's an obvious trade/cut candidate.
FREE AGENTS
Unrestricted Free Agents
- QB Daniel Jones
- RB Ameer Abdullah
- RB Salvon Ahmed
- WR Alec Pierce
- WR Laquon Treadwell
- TE Mo Alie-Cox
- TE Drew Ogletree
- OT Braden Smith
- IOL Danny Pinter
- DE Kwity Paye
- DE Samson Ebukam
- DE Tyquan Lewis
- DT Neville Gallimore
- DT Chris Wormley
- DT Eric Johnson II
- LB Germaine Pratt
- LB Buddy Johnson
- LB Jacob Phillips
- CB Chris Lammons
- S Nick Cross
- S Rodney Thomas II
- S George Odum
Restricted Free Agents
- RB Tyler Goodson
- WR D.J. Montgomery
- OT Luke Tenuta
- LB Segun Olubi
- CB Cameron Mitchell
- K Blake Grupe
NFL DRAFT CAPITAL
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6, Round 7
- The Colts don't have a first-round pick in 2026 (No. 16 overall), as a result of trading for cornerback Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets
- The Colts are projected to receive two compensatory picks — one each in Rounds 6 and 7 — as a result of losing 2025 free agents Joe Flacco and E.J. Speed
- The NFL will announce the full 2026 NFL Draft order in March following the comp. pick process
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon on moving forward to 2026:
"Even though we didn't get the results we expected, I'm confident in what we're building and how we're building it. So with that said, Chris (Ballard) will continue as our general manager, and Shane (Steichen) will continue as our head coach for this next season. We have been very clear with Chris and Shane that giving them another opportunity means that the sense of urgency for them to deliver and perform has never been higher. Chris and Shane are both capable of facing this challenge head-on and finding a way to achieve the results that our fans deserve, which is winning games, getting to the postseason, and ultimately winning championships. Ultimately, though, I am responsible for our team's performance and the promise that we made to be the best."
General Manager Chris Ballard on what needs to be accomplished this offseason:
"I think our defensive front, we've got to add some fuel to the front, and we've got to get younger. We've got to get faster, unequivocally, on defense. Offensively, we've got to be able to run it when we want to run it. I will say that, kind of, when Daniel (Jones) got hurt, it took away some things we could do from a mobility standpoint, which I think affected it, but that's something we will dig into. But just off our initial thinking, our defensive front, and we’ve got to get faster, especially on defense."
Ballard on being committed to re-signing Jones in free agency, and whether his Achilles injury affects the discussions:
“I think it's mutual on both sides. I think Daniel (Jones) was a really good fit for this organization, and I think this organization and city were a really good fit for Daniel... We’ll work through that with his agent (the injury). He’s got a really good agent. We’ll find a way to work through that.”
Ballard and Steichen on whether Anthony Richardson Sr. will be back with the team in 2026:
Ballard: "I think time will tell in terms – it was great to get him back out to practice for that three weeks, or at least get him back involved in the team and moving again. But he's got to still work through the vision he has, and we'll see what the future holds there. But a little bit of bad luck. We'll kind of see going forward how that ends up playing out. A lot of it's going to deal with his health too."
Steichen: “We'll see. I mean, the biggest thing is the eye limitations. That's got to get healthy, and those are conversations that will take place in the future.”
Jake Arthur has been covering the Indianapolis Colts for over a dozen years and is a member of the PFWA. He's one half of the Locked On Colts podcast and has worked for the Colts' official website, On SI, and more. You can follow him on X @JakeArthurNFL.