Colts' Offseason Given Harsh Critique

The Indianapolis Colts ventured into the offseason not looking to make wholesale changes outside of shedding some bloated contracts, but rather reinvesting in what they felt their strengths were and injecting some youth and athleticism in certain spots.

General manager Chris Ballard & Co. had conviction about their offense, specifically quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce, whom they re-signed to multi-year deals and gave about $144 million in guaranteed money to. Not everyone considers those slam-dunk moves, however.

Recently, NFL.com's Matt Okada dolled out offseason grades to each team and gave the Colts a C-, along with a harsh critique of their approach:

"Indianapolis Colts, Grade: C-

"Standout moves:

"My grade on Indianapolis' offseason hinges quite a bit on my disapproval of the Jones and Pierce signings," Okada wrote. "The veteran quarterback penned a two-year, $88 million deal after putting together a half-season of high-level play before tearing his Achilles in December. Pierce landed a four-year, $116 million contract -- top-15 wide receiver money -- after posting (mediocre) career highs of 47 catches and 1,003 yards in 2025. The rest of Indy's free agency action was largely lateral, though trading Pittman to Pittsburgh might leave the offense with a bit of a hole on the outside.

"The Colts' draft was fine, highlighted by the selections of Allen and safety A.J. Haulcy on Day 2 (after missing out on Day 1 festivities due to the Sauce Gardner trade). But, for me, it wasn’t enough to make up for the risky, optimistic investments they made into Jones and Pierce."

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When it comes to Jones, yes, the Colts are taking a leap of faith that he'll return from his Achilles injury and remain healthy, while also getting back to a high level of play that he reached in the first half of last season.

The Colts' early-season success, however, put them in a tough spot entering this offseason. Their offense was so good; how do you scrap that with a new quarterback and start anew? Signing someone like Malik Willis, Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, or Kyler Murray would have been just as much of a risk, if not more. Plus, the Colts would essentially be starting their offense over, having to get a new quarterback up to speed with Shane Steichen's system.

As for sending Michael Pittman Jr. off to the Pittsburgh Steelers and investing in Alec Pierce as the new WR1, again, what was the alternative? Pittman was set to be the NFL's seventh-highest-paid receiver in 2026 with a $29 million cap hit despite appearing to be in the twilight of his career. Pierce's new contract reflects where the Colts think he'll go, but they've seen him be the most critical piece of the passing game over the last two years.

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On the defensive side of the ball, draft picks linebacker CJ Allen and safety A.J. Haulcy are supposed to represent a significant part of the Colts' future.

The Colts badly needed to rejuvenate their linebacker corps and did so by trading Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers and letting Germaine Pratt walk in free agency. Allen is considered a highly intelligent, well-rounded linebacker who shouldn't be caught in compromising positions as often as his veteran predecessors.

Haulcy is a replacement for a player in Nick Cross who became a high-level box safety but doesn't possess the instincts in coverage or level of ball skills that Haulcy does. Haulcy is also a physical, rangy player in the box like Cross was, so it shouldn't take the rookie long to replicate and ultimately upgrade what the Colts had prior.

The Colts' offseason moves may not have been for everyone, but when you consider that they are in win-now mode, making drastic risky changes in some of the most critical areas was not going to happen.