We are going to talk about several young Indianapolis Colts players who might earn early contract extensions in 2026. These aren't exactly star players, so you may wonder why general manager Chris Ballard would want to offer them contract extensions before their current deals expire. For the answer to that, let's go back one year.
Imagine you are Ballard and you are doing some long-range roster planning. The 2024 season has just ended. You are in the middle of one high-value contract with receiver Michael Pittman Jr., and you know that fellow receiver Alec Pierce is due to hit free agency the following off-season.
Pierce has just finished a season in which he only caught 37 passes, but led the entire NFL in yards per catch and scored seven touchdowns. What do you do about Alec Pierce?
3 Indianapolis Colts players who could earn extensions in 2026
Ballard made the perfectly justifiable decision to wait on his young receiver. He would see how well Pierce performed in 2025 before committing to an extension at a sizeable increase in salary. It was the smart move, but in hindsight, it was a mistake.
Waiting on Pierce was a mistake because Pierce did have another fine season in 2025, and his price tag skyrocketed. Ballard eventually committed 114 million dollars to retain his star for another four seasons. Had he not waited until the deadline and extended Pierce after the 2024 season, he would have saved a ton of money. How much?
Impossible to know, but here’s a rough comparison. The Buffalo Bills had a young receiver – Khalil Shakir – who entered the league the same year as Pierce. He was nowhere near as explosive as the Colts player, but he was a more reliable possession receiver.
Their respective Success%s (an effectiveness score based on down and distance) in 2024 were almost identical. The Bills extended Shakir for four years at 53 million dollars after the 2024 season.
I’m not saying Ballard dropped the ball on the Alec Pierce contract, but waiting did cost the team a lot of money. So the question as we enter the 2026 season is this: are there under-the-radar players scheduled for free agency in 2028 who the Colts should consider extending early if they have a good upcoming season? Here are several to keep in mind.
Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, C
The newest Colt was acquired to fill a glaring need at backup center. Without Danny Pinter in reserve, Indianapolis struggled throughout the preseason to find reliable support for rising star Tanor Bortolini. Bortolini is another player scheduled to hit free agency in 2028, and I assume he is at or near the top of Ballard’s extension list.
Van Pran-Granger could be an insurance policy if Bortolini’s price tag gets too high. That’s essentially what happened to the Baltimore Ravens and Tyler Linderbaum this off-season. That’s one of the reasons the Ravens signed Pinter back in March.
The Colts are just getting to know Van Pran-Granger, and he may not play his way into their plans. But if he does stand out in practice and perhaps in games, should he be called on, he could be a solid low-cost insurance policy.
Matt Goncalves, G
Let’s stick with the offensive line. Goncalves is already a starter and a pretty good one at that. He is only 25 years old. Why wouldn’t Chris Ballard automatically attempt to lock up such a promising young player early in the process and likely save some money along the way? I just mentioned the problem. Tanor Bortolini.
The two linemen arrived in the same draft class. They now play next to each other at center and right guard. Both will finish their rookie contracts at the same time. A new contract for star left guard Quenton Nelson is going to cost a lot of money.
Left tackle Bernhard Raimann is already playing on a nice-sized deal. Bortolini will not come cheap. Can the Colts afford to commit to Goncalves as well, especially when they have Jalen Farmer on a rookie deal for three more years? Goncalves needs to keep developing to make it worth Ballard’s while to work out an early extension.
Jaylon Carlies, LB
Carlies has been on quite the roller coaster over the past few seasons. He went from the promising new kid on the block who seemed destined to take E.J. Speed’s place in 2025 to a virtually forgotten man. An ankle injury before the 2025 season was the main culprit.
Ballard signed free agent Akeem Gaither-Davis this off-season and then chose two linebackers in the 2026 draft. That seemed to bury Carlies on the depth chart. But the rookies struggled in the preseason while Carlies looked very good.
It is entirely possible that he could emerge as the Colts’ best linebacker as the 2026 season progresses. Those rookies are locked up at a low cost for three more years, and Gaither-Davis is only inked through this season. If Carlies performs – and remains healthy – he could earn himself an early extension.
None of these players are stars. Goncalves is a starter and has extra value because he can play tackle if necessary. Carlies is a rotational player who may or may not start games. Van Pran-Granger is a clear backup. But any or all of them could develop into the type of player the Colts build their future around. Just ask Alec Pierce how that can happen in the NFL.
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