The Indianapolis Colts and general manager Chris Ballard need to change their narrative. The team has gone playoff-less since 2020, and should that happen again in 2026, Ballard should lose his job.
Coaches have come and gone, of course. Shane Steichen is the third head coach Ballard has had. Yet, only twice in nine seasons has Indy made the postseason. The fault lies with Ballard. To change the course of the organization, the GM should go bold this offseason.
He can't just run it back, though that is seemingly what the team wants to do. Bringing back quarterback Daniel Jones might be a must, though, simply because there are no other good options in free agency. Indianapolis has no first-round pick to choose a highly respected QB, either.
3 Indianapolis Colts players who might have played their final game for Indy
Besides the players that are acquired, the Colts need to make sure some don't return. Three of those follow, but only two are true free agents this offseason.
Edge rusher Samson Ebukam
Ebukam has had one truly great season in his career, and that was with Indianapolis in 2023. He was fantastic at chasing down quarterbacks and elite against the run. Had he maintained that level, he might have been one of the best free agent signings that Chris Ballard ever had.
After 2023, though, injuries began to be a problem for the edge rusher. He missed all of 2024. He did play in 14 this season for Indy, but only got one start. He simply wasn't a good fit in new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's system. Plus, when Ebukam did play, he was ineffective.
A couple of factors work against the edge rusher. One is that Anarumo isn't going anywhere, and Ebukam isn't suddenly going to be a great fit in the scheme. He will also be 31 years old by Week 1 of the 2026 season, and with a recent injury history.
The Colts need to get younger and more athletic among their defensive front. That means multiple changes at edge rusher, including not re-signing Tyquan Lewis, but it should certainly mean Ebukam doesn't come back.
Quarterback Anthony Richardson
Should Richardson still be on the roster in 2026, he will carry a cap hit of nearly $10.9 million. That isn't an awful number for a backup quarterback, but the issue is that Richardson might not be QB2 next season. Should the team re-sign Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard could be his backup.
After all, Leonard was good in Week 18 and flashed enough potential that the team should trust him a lot more in the future. He was a lot more accurate with his passes than the team likely expected, too. Much more so than Richardson has ever been.
Assuming Anthony Richardson is fully recovered from the blurry vision he suffered after breaking an orbital bone in pregame warmups in Week 6, he should be able to play somewhere. The Colts moving him to another team, though, likely does the team and the player a favor. Richardson obviously needs a change of scenery.
Right tackle Braden Smith
Smith certainly isn't a bad player, but he has slightly regressed in terms of run blocking over the last two seasons. He is also probably too expensive for a team that wants to re-sign Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce. Another thing working against Smith is that he will be 30 years old at the start of the 2026 season, and giving him a multi-year deal might not be wise.
Smith could command as much as $17 million a season in free agency. The free agent market is also weak in terms of offensive tackles, so Smith's asking price might be further enhanced as he is one of the best tackles available. Indy shouldn't pay him $17 million a year moving forward.
But the worst part for Smith, which is ultimately a good thing for the Indianapolis Colts, is that Jalen Travis looked good as a rookie when he played at the end of the season. He appears ready to take on a starting role next season, and bringing back Smith only gets in Travis's way. The team needs to look toward the long-term future with the Braden Smith decision.