2026 Off-Season Thread
 

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The Colts’ $60 Million Dilemma Just Left Chris Ballard With No Real Escape

(By Lee Vowel)

https://horseshoeheroes.com/colts-60...no-real-escape

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If he feels like he should retire, then he should. He knows his own body, and what a normal thought process is versus a distorted one. Hopefully Walley is good to go by training camp. Just hope the injury didn't do more mental damage then physical.

We definitely have to sign Pierce, providing we don't get completely outbid, then you just let him go. You have to be fiscally responsible as well to build a complete team.

Let Smith go, he is overpaid anyway.

Get rid of Zaire. Seriously, sooner than later. Not a fan of Pratt, but wouldn't be mad if he was still here. Carlise can cover. Keep him healthy and see. Did I mention Franklin should be gone, like now?

Gallimore I would keep for the right money. Stewart is the other side of 30. Buck is on the wrong side of 30 with a neck injury/recovery.

I would trade Pittman to keep Pierce. We'll be ok without him.

I have a long wish list, and my reality list for the offseason. Ironically they are completely different of each other. Ya know, Cheap ass Ballard and his Goodwill philosophy.

Read the article, and I’m not sure he’s right. If Ward retires, and I’ll admit that I’m not an expert capologist, his contract is suspended and the team isn’t on the hook for his $13 Million salary, this year. They also have the right to take him to arbitration and recover $13 Million and change from his signing bonus. I suppose that it could depend on whether he is considered to be retired-injured in which case the team is liable for the part of his contract that was guaranteed against injury.

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Big Jim Irsay was a generous guy will his billions, as he never tried to recollect any money from Andrew Luck when he suddenly and abruptly retired, even though he was entitled to ...... I have a sense that Carly will financially compensate Ward if he decides to retire, even if it's money on the side that won't count toward the team's salary cap ...... it would be really cool if Carly did that, even if she were not obligated to do so.

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Horseshoe Heros is a total click bait group. They never have any real reporting and all of their takes are meant to be controversial and get clicks. I don't believe anything they say and I want Ballard gone. When Ward initially played the defense was so much better. It was an excellent signing. I'm betting he still wants to play but I think he shouldn't. Brain trauma is a real thing.

As a fan, I would love to see him play, and play well and free of further concussions. However, I do not see players as gladiators there for my amusement, but as people. Therefore, I agree that he should retire while he still has a brain that is not total mush.

Oh, and I totally agree about Horseshoe Heroes. Bogus page that uses clickbait, and has no real substance.

Joel A. Erickson
@JoelAErickson
·
2h
Next fall will be the final Colts training camp at Grand Park. The team is taking it back to W. 56th after 2026.

Other than during Covid, has TC ever been held in Indy? I know in the early days it was at some high school field.

It is kinda big news because they cannot accommodate fans very well at 56th st

Just checked OTC and that site was us down to $27M in cap space from ~$34M it was showing last week. Anyone know if a roster bonus kicked in or something to that effect? Maybe it was the reserve/future contracts?

Yet....

D on the thread

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Thanks for bumping it.

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2026 NFL Offseason: Free Agents, Draft Notes, Predictions

(Multiple Contributors)

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...ft-predictions



*********************************



Indianapolis Colts


2025 record: l 8-9

Final FPI Ranking: l No. 21 (Out of 32 Teams)

Estimated 2026 Cap Space: l $36.3 Million

2026 1st-Round Draft Pick: l None (traded to the New York Jets)


What is their top offseason priority ??? ) Resolve their quarterback situation ...... Daniel Jones lit it up in his first season with Indy, but he'll be a free-agent in March, when he'll still be recovering from a torn right Achilles. The Colts seem inclined to run it back with Jones, but they've got to reach a deal and confirm his injury progress.

What is one secondary priority to watch ??? ) Re-tool the defensive line ...... the Colts have stuck with this group for years, but the results have been too intermittent to assume this group returns en-masse. This will be tricky with no 1sst-round pick, but the Colts need more juice on the edge.

Latest on the head coach situation: ) The Colts lost their final 7 games to complete a historic collapse after an 8-2 start ...... but the team's ownership has decided not to make significant changes, with the Colts announcing less than 3 hours after a season-ending loss to the Texans that General Manager Chris Ballard and Head Coach Shane Steichen will return for the 2026 season.


Author: l Stephen Holder

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https://x.com/ZachHicks2/status/2013...873315872?s=20

Zach Hicks
@ZachHicks2
·
21h
Under 30 years old Edge rushers set to hit free agency with a pass rush win rate above 12% (per PFF):

Cameron Thomas, CLE (13.1%)
Jaelan Phillips, PHI (18.4%)
Arnold Ebiketie (16.8%)
Malcolm Koonce (14.4%)
Odafe Oweh (16.2%)

https://x.com/PFSN365/status/2013780593360667107?s=20

PFSN
@PFSN365
The NFL cornerbacks who allowed the fewest yards per coverage snap in 2025 (min. 200 cov. snaps):

🔒 Eric Stokes, LV - 0.5
🔒 Pat Surtain II, DEN - 0.6
🔒 Joey Porter Jr., PIT - 0.6
🔒 James Pierre, PIT - 0.6
🔒 Tre’Davious White, BUF - 0.6
🔒 Quinyon Mitchell, PHI - 0.7
🔒 Jamel Dean, TB - 0.7
🔒 A.J. Terrell, ATL - 0.7
🔒 Sauce Gardner, IND - 0.7
🔒 Tariq Woolen, SEA - 0.7
🔒 Marcus Harris, TEN - 0.7
🔒 Jack Jones, MIA - 0.7

I like Jaelan Phillips, just not his injury history. The Senior Bowl is supposed to be loaded with Edge Rushers. If that turns out to be true, let's get one.

Ballard drafting a de


what could go wrong

A blind squirrel finds a nut occasionally, that's my hope.

Well, the hope is, that he has learned from his previous mistakes.

34 million


Spotrac
@spotrac
·
6h
Updated 2026 #NFL Cap Space estimates, led by the Titans, Raiders, & Jets, with the Chiefs, Saints, & Vikings bringing up the rear.

Attachment 176

https://x.com/spotrac/status/2015804372106584307?s=20

Jags and Texans have some tough decisions to make.

Very easy for the Colts to get to nearly $100 million in cap space.

When you say easy, does that include cutting players we need?

Elaborate please

SleeperColts

@SleeperColts
·
2h
Top unrestricted free agents available this offseason 👀

• Trey Hendrickson — EDGE
• George Pickens — WR
• Tyler Linderbaum — C
• Daniel Jones — QB
• Jaelan Phillips — EDGE
• Alec Pierce — WR

If you could only sign one, who are you taking and why?

https://x.com/SleeperColts/status/20...225438811?s=20

Only 1? That's a hard choice. I say Phillips, and tag Pierce.

Gotta have AP. When healthy this offense is arguably the best in the NFL.

SS is very much missed from the Eagles. There is a reason they are looking hard at Jim Bob.

Hopefully Ballard can get AP and DJ done soon.

Then look for LB and another edge

If you could get a #1 draft choice for JT, would you do it?

In a second. If you could get a 2 for the dude I would. He is a running back that disappeared on us the second half of the year, and I am not talking just about his running. Was a stud at blocking the first half of the year, not so much the second half. I have no faith that he will be there when the going gets really tough.

If you could get a 5th round pick for Pittman, would you do it?

If you can't renegotiate his contract to get his cap hit below 29 million probably. There is the issue that Pierce is reported to want to try out free agency. If we lose Pierce, which is entirely possible, we are going to be in a world of hurt.

You should be able to get way more than a 5th for Pittman.

Errrr....I am not sure of that.

Already 29 years old....
Only one year left on his contract.....
$22m cap hit to the new team.....
Only 2 seasons over 1,000 yards in career....
Only 2 seasons over 4 TDs in career....

He has performed as a solid WR2 but is getting paid like a low end WR1 (7th highest cap hit of WRs in 2026 for the Colts....falls to 16th highest cap hit of WRs for a new team without pro-rated signing bonus and roster bonus).

While I am sure a team out there might trade for him if it were put out that he were available, I am not sure many would be willing to pay much for him.

Jakobi Meyers got a 4 and a 6 at the deadline. Pittman is better than Meyers. The contract can be renegotiated, so shouldn't really factor into the value. I wouldn't take less than a 3 for him, and given some of the NFL's WR rooms, I think he could get as much as a 2.

If you could get a 2 for Pittman, I'd love to see you take Ballards job.

https://x.com/Colts_Law/status/2016942711815700636?s=20

Here are our other FA's

Attachment 179

A top ten pick, for sure. A late round pick would be a tough sell.

Kwity and Smith will not get that here. They are not worth those amounts. The rest seem like manageable amounts for us, given their production.

We ain't gettin' no stinkin' 2nd round choice for Pittman. If we shop him, then teams already know that we want to unload him, lowering his value. How many WR's have you seen that average 4 TD's per game and 10.8 yds per catch, and become trade commodities.

We got 2nd and 5th for Faulk for crying out loud. Pittman is nowhere near Faulk's talent.

We will ask for 3rd, hope for a 4th, and accept a 5th.