Jan. 24, 2026, 9:15 p.m. ET
Will this be another offseason where we see the Indianapolis Colts quite active in free agency?
Between the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the Colts‘ roster changed very little. But after another missed postseason, GM Chris Ballard changed his approach during the 2025 offseason and was much more aggressive in free agency.
This included signing Daniel Jones and spending fairly big on Charvarius Ward and Cam Bynum.
When owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon spoke with the media after the season, she mentioned how Ballard adapted his roster-building approach, which included being more aggressive.
Ballard then seemed to acknowledge that continuing down that path was going to be the plan this offseason.
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From a salary cap standpoint, the Colts are in a position to operate that way as well. Ballard said the team is in “good shape” cap-wise, but specifically, the Colts have $26.9 million in available cap space.
This is the 13th most in the NFL, and there is the opportunity to create more room if needed.
From the sounds of it, addressing the defensive side of the ball will be a priority this offseason. Ballard mentioned the need for “more fuel” along the defensive front, along with the need to get younger and faster on defense as a whole.
With all that said, the Colts have missed the playoffs five consecutive years now, so Ballard may naturally feel the need to take some big swings to help get this team back to the postseason.