Indianapolis Colts

The Colts sit ninth in the league with $31.9M in current cap room and a relatively modest $15.0M in dead money, giving them genuine financial flexibility to address right tackle and other needs right now.

38 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Six starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

The roster's top strength is its cornerback duo of Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward Sr, while the glaring weak spot is right tackle, where the starter grades out well below league-average.

• RThigh

  Jalen Travis is the depth-chart starter at right tackle at just 68 overall, making this a critical upgrade target as the highest-severity need on the roster.

• WILLlow

  Akeem Davis-Gaither starts at WILL linebacker but sits below average, and the depth behind him is thin, making this a low-priority but real upgrade opportunity.

• Vertical Power RunoffensiveGood

  Jonathan Taylor's elite rating and Quenton Nelson's dominant blocking make a power-run identity the natural offensive foundation for this team.

• [EA] Disguise 3-4defensivePassable

  DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart provide the interior mass needed to eat blockers, while Laiatu Latu and JT Tuimoloau offer the edge flexibility that a 3-4 disguise scheme demands.

• 62Easton StickQBEaston Stick sits third on the depth chart behind Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson Sr, and releasing him frees $1.1M with zero dead money.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 60Josh SillsRGJosh Sills is a 60 overall backup who appears on both the LG and RG depth charts only in emergency depth spots, and his release frees $1.1M with no dead money.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 59Jimmy MorrisseyCJimmy Morrissey grades out at just 59 overall and sits third behind Tanor Bortolini and Geno VanDeMark at center, making him expendable for a $1.1M savings with no dead money.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 63Sean McKeonTESean McKeon is a 63 overall tight end buried on the depth chart behind Tyler Warren and Mo Alie-Cox, and releasing him frees $1.2M against zero dead money.Frees $1.2M · $0 dead
• 73Jaylon JonesCBJaylon Jones is a 73 overall corner who sits outside the top-three at a well-stocked position, and his release frees $3.7M while carrying only $20K in dead money.Frees $3.7M · $20.0K dead

The Colts are a well-built roster built to win now and soon. Jonathan Taylor and Quenton Nelson give the offense a physical identity, and Sauce Gardner anchors a secondary that is among the best in the game. Tyler Warren and Tanor Bortolini are 24-year-old Superstar and Star cornerstones who should develop into elite players just as the roster hits its contention window. The most pressing concern is right tackle, where Jalen Travis starts at a well below-average rating and leaves the offense vulnerable. DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart are productive but entering the late stages of their careers, meaning the team will need to begin building interior depth in the near term. Charvarius Ward, Quenton Nelson, and Arden Key all require succession planning within the next few seasons. Daniel Jones leads the quarterback room ahead of Anthony Richardson Sr and Riley Leonard, but improving under center will be a key storyline as the team chases a championship.

The Colts were founded in 1953 in Baltimore, when a group led by Carroll Rosenbloom was awarded the assets of the defunct Dallas Texans. Under coach Weeb Ewbank and quarterback Johnny Unitas (signed 1956), the Colts rose fast, beating the New York Giants 23-17 on December 28, 1958, in the first sudden-death overtime championship, "The Greatest Game Ever Played." They repeated as NFL champions in 1959 and won another NFL title in 1968. After joining the AFC in the merger, they won Super Bowl V after the 1970 season, defeating Dallas 16-13 on Jim O'Brien's late field goal. After the 1972 season the franchise was sold to Robert Irsay, and in March 1984 Irsay relocated the team to Indianapolis in the infamous "Mayflower Midnight" move. The Peyton Manning era began with the No. 1 overall pick in 1998 and became the greatest stretch in franchise history: 11 playoff appearances, an NFL-record seven straight 12-win seasons (2003-09), and, under coach Tony Dungy, a Super Bowl XLI win after the 2006 season, 29-17 over the Chicago Bears. Manning missed 2011 with neck surgery, and the team drafted Andrew Luck first overall in 2012. Luck led a division-title revival before injuries forced his shocking 2019 retirement. The recent era has been defined by quarterback instability and a playoff drought dating to 2020.