Jan. 9, 2026, 7:39 a.m. ET
As the Indianapolis Colts attempt to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, free agency will have to be a big part of that equation.
The Colts will have money to spend this offseason. According to Over the Cap, the Colts have $45.77 million in available cap space. Compared to the rest of the NFL, this is the ninth-most in football currently.
As GM Chris Ballard said on Thursday, salary cap-wise, the Colts are in “good shape.”
The Colts also have the ability to create more cap room if needed.
Last offseason, we saw Ballard take a much more aggressive approach in free agency. From the sounds of it, he will “continue down that path” this offseason.
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There are always reasons to address just about every position group over the course of an offseason, but two specific areas Ballard mentioned on Thursday were the defensive front and getting faster on defense as a whole.
So, with a focus on the defense, specifically the front seven, here are the top available free agents this offseason at those positions.
Best available 2026 NFL free agents on defense for Indianapolis ColtsDE Trey HendricksonDE Jaelan PhillipsIDL John Franklin-MyersLB Quay WalkerLB Devin LloydDE Odafe OwehDE Boye MafeLB Nakobe DeanDE Joey BosaIDL Travis JonesDE Khalil MackLB Demario DavisDE Kyle Van NoyIDL Teair TartIDL DaQuan Jones
*This list was compiled by rankings from Sports Illustrated, The Ringer, and Bleacher Report