Jan. 30, 2026, 4:30 p.m. ET
The Indianapolis Colts and the rest of the NFL just received some good news as it pertains to the 2026 salary cap figure.
According to the NFL Network, the league has notified all 32 teams that the projected salary cap for the 2026 season will be between $301.2 million and $305.7 million.
Compared to the 2025 salary cap, which was set at $279.2 million, that is an increase of over $20 million.
For several years now, the cap has increased at a significant rate. In 2022, the salary cap that year was $208.2 million.
Prior to this news, Over the Cap projected that the Colts would have $26.9 million in available cap space. That, however, was with a projected salary cap of $295.5 million.
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So instead, the Colts will have between roughly $32 million and $36 million in available cap space.
The opportunity for GM Chris Ballard to further reshape the Colts’ roster in free agency does seem to exist, given the team’s salary cap situation.
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.
Addressing the defensive side of the ball, specifically, seems to be a big priority for the Colts this offseason.
Some notable free agents for the Colts this offseason include Daniel Jones, Alec Pierce, Nick Cross, and others. For the full list of Colts’ free agents, you can find that here.
Like every other team, Ballard can also create more cap space by pushing current year’s cap charges to future seasons. This can be done through contract restructures, extensions, or by veteran cuts.