When you haven’t made the playoffs in five years and are perpetually hanging around a .500 finish each season, accolades are essentially (and should be) an afterthought.
However, as the Indianapolis Colts attempt to pull themselves out of a five-year postseason drought, they have at least four players who can be part of the turnaround and have been dubbed “stars of tomorrow.”
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Recently, Gilberto Manzano of SI.com compiled a list of 100 NFL players who should be considered the top players for a year from now. Although the Colts need plenty of work this offseason, four of their players made Manzano’s top-100 list:
Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (84) makes a catch for a touchdown Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, during a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Mandatory Credit:Â Grace Hollars/IndyStar
No. 74, TE Tyler Warren
“Warren made an immediate impact as a polished blocker and standout pass catcher in Shane Steichen’s offense. Warren’s ability to get open quickly helped Daniel Jones find his footing in his first season in Indianapolis. Warren, the 2025 No. 14 pick, might be on the same trajectory as George Kittle. In his first season, Warren had 76 catches for 817 yards and four touchdowns.”
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Warren made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, just the second Colts tight end to ever do so (John Mackey in 1963). He is also only the second tight end in Colts franchise history to be a PFWA All-Rookie nominee, and the first since Dwayne Allen in 2012. Warren led the Colts in pass targets (112) and was second in receptions (76), receiving yards (817), and receiving first downs (42). He also caught four touchdowns, to go with eight yards and another touchdown on six carries. His receptions and receiving yards were both the most by a rookie tight end in Colts franchise history, and his five total touchdowns were second.
Considering tight ends typically take ample time to get acclimated to the NFL, Warren’s timeline is sped up. That should result in an even more productive 2026 after being able to focus on the NFL for an entire offseason, rather than preparing for the draft.
Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) breaks up a pass intended for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, during a game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Mandatory Credit:Â Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar
No. 63, CB Sauce Gardner
“Gardner has plenty to prove after a few down seasons with the Jets and not much with the Colts after the November trade that sent two first-round picks to New York. Still, it isn’t easy to give up on Gardner’s elite coverage skills. If Gardner can stay healthy (he played only 11 games in 2025), he could regain his top form after spending a full offseason in Indianapolis.”
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Gardner’s career got off to a sterling beginning, earning the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award, as well as First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections in each of his first two years. However, as the New York Jets and their defense began to crack, Gardner’s performance went down a peg. The hope was that a midseason trade to the Colts this year would get everything back on track, but a calf injury limited Gardner to just four game appearances as a Colt.
It would be startling if Gardner didn’t fully bounce back in 2026. By the time he was traded to the Colts, he played a full overtime game in Germany less than a week after arriving in Indianapolis, and just four weeks after playing for the Jets in London. Gardner then played a full overtime game again on the road in the Colts’ next game before his injury happened. In 2026, there will be no whirlwind changing of places, and he will have been able to rest his body.
Nov 30, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson (56) warms up before a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
No. 50, G Quenton Nelson
“Nelson, who will turn 30 in March, has been one of the most decorated guards since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2018. He’s made six All-Pro teams (three first- and three second-team selections), including in ’25. He’s a relentless run blocker and a stout pass protector.”
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Nelson has made the Pro Bowl in each of his eight seasons in the NFL, as well as six All-Pro honors: three First-Team selections and three Second-Team. He also earned his fifth-career appearance on the PFWA All-AFC Team this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Nelson had the fourth-best overall grade in the NFL among guards (84.5) in 2025, also earning fourth in run blocking (84.3) and 14th in pass protection (73.2). This was the fifth season in Nelson’s career in which he was credited with either one or zero sacks allowed.
Entering his age-30 season in 2026, Nelson hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. He’s still a physically dominant player with elite instincts, and he is well-rounded in the run and pass games. He’ll also be entering another season with Bernhard Raimann and Tanor Bortolini on either side, which will help with continuity.
Dec 28, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) celebrates after a touchdown during the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
No. 28, RB Jonathan Taylor
“Surprisingly, Taylor didn’t win the rushing title with how dominant he was in the first 10 games of the season. He rushed for 1,585 yards and a league-high 18 touchdowns, which was the second time in his career that he’s had that many touchdowns on the ground. Taylor would have been higher on this list, but there’s uncertainty at quarterback, and his play suffered due to the Daniel Jones Achilles injury in his first year in Indianapolis.”
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Taylor made the Pro Bowl for the third time this season and earned his second-career PFWA All-AFC nod. He was also a First-Team All-Pro in 2021 after leading the NFL with 1,811 rushing yards. Taylor finished third in rushing (1,585) this year after tapering off from a blistering first half of the season. Regardless, he led the NFL in rushing touchdowns (18) and total touchdowns (20) as well as rushing first downs (84), and he was also third in the league in yards from scrimmage (1,963).
The Colts should still be heavily reliant on Taylor in 2026, but it would be wise to have a suitable complement to him in the run game, whether that’s 2025 draft pick DJ Giddens or not. Taylor has touched the ball an average of 345 times in the last two seasons, so they may be entering the “don’t run him into the ground” portion of his career. Taylor was a legitimate MVP candidate in 2025 and played the best ball of his career in the first half, showing development as a pass-catcher and pass protector the likes of which we haven’t seen from him to that point in his career. Big things could be in store again in 2026.
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 XÂ @JakeArthurNFL.