Indianapolis Colts

With $1634.1M in cap room (9th in the league) and only $15.0M in dead money, the Colts have genuine financial flexibility to attack their needs right now.

22 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Seven starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

With no first-round pick this season (forfeited to the Jets) and six picks clustered in rounds two through seven, the Colts have volume but lack top-end draft ammunition in year one.

• Traded away: Round 1 to Jets, this draft

The roster's clear top strength is the cornerback group anchored by Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward Sr., while the linebacker corps, particularly at MIKE and WILL, is the most glaring weak spot.

• MIKEhigh

  The starting middle linebacker ranks 31st of 32 at the position, making this the single most urgent defensive upgrade on the roster.

• REDGEhigh

  Arden Key starts at right defensive end but ranks 28th of 32 at the position, and the depth behind him offers little upgrade potential.

• RThigh

  Jalen Travis holds the starting job but ranks dead last (32nd of 32) among starting right tackles, and the overall depth unit ranks 25th, making this the most critical offensive line hole.

• SShigh

  A.J. Haulcy starts at strong safety but the unit ranks 30th of 32 at both the starter and depth levels, leaving the back end of the defense dangerously thin.

• WILLhigh

  The will linebacker spot ranks 29th of 32 at the starter level, and with Bryce Boettcher and Jaylon Carlies leading the depth, adding a quality player here is a near-term priority.

• QBlow

  Daniel Jones starts at quarterback and ranks 22nd of 32 at the position, a manageable weakness given the surrounding offensive talent but one worth monitoring.

• RGlow

  Matt Goncalves starts at right guard and ranks 20th of 32, though the depth unit ranks 5th, meaning interior reinforcement is close to the surface.

• WRlow

  Alec Pierce leads the receiver room but the group ranks 21st of 32 at the starter level, and releasing aging depth pieces would open cap room to upgrade.

• 68Laquon TreadwellWRLaquon Treadwell is a 68 overall receiver entering the twilight of his career who sits third on the depth chart behind Pierce and Allen, and releasing him frees $1.3M against just $180K in dead money.Frees $1.3M · $180.0K dead
• 62Luke TenutaRTLuke Tenuta is a 62 overall right tackle who serves as a backup and contributes to the worst-ranked RT unit in the league, and releasing him frees $1.1M with zero dead money.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 64D.J. MontgomeryWRD.J. Montgomery is a 64 overall receiver with no dead money on his deal, and cutting him frees $890K while trimming aging, low-impact depth from a receiver room that already needs a starter-level upgrade.Frees $890.0K · $0 dead
• 65Will MalloryTEWill Mallory is a 65 overall tight end listed third on the FB depth chart behind Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree, and releasing him frees $1.1M against just $70K in dead money.Frees $1.1M · $70.0K dead

The Colts hand you a roster with genuine stars at running back, left guard, interior defensive tackle, and cornerback, which shortens the gap to contention more than most rebuilds require. Jonathan Taylor at 96 overall gives the offense an X Factor centerpiece, and Sauce Gardner at 90 overall with a Superstar dev trait is a cornerback who can anchor the secondary for the better part of a decade. The concern is what surrounds those stars: the right tackle spot is the weakest in the league by starter rank, the linebacker corps is threadbare at both MIKE and WILL, the strong safety unit ranks near the bottom, and the right defensive edge is shaky. Daniel Jones is a functional starting quarterback, but moving the team from good to great likely requires either his improvement or a longer-term answer at the position. DeForest Buckner and Quenton Nelson are productive starters right now, but both are in the later stages of their careers, and planning for life without them at their current impact levels is already relevant. Tyler Warren at 24 with a Superstar dev trait at tight end, and Tanor Bortolini at 24 with a Star trait at center, represent the young pillars around which the next wave can be built. With six picks across rounds two through seven this season and 20 total picks over a three-year window, the team has enough draft volume to address the linebacker, safety, and right tackle needs if those selections are targeted well.

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.