Now that the Indianapolis Colts' playoff chances are officially dead, fans can take a longer view of where the franchise stands heading into the 2026 season. There are several major roster issues that must be addressed. At this point, there is no guarantee about who will be making those decisions. Collapses like the one the Colts have just experienced throw everything into turmoil.
In the coming months, everyone will be debating the new players who might arrive via the draft or free agency to help rebound from the current disappointment. During such discussions, it is important to remember that the Colts have a lot of very good roster pieces. That’s how they reached 8-2 less than two months ago.
But as new players come in, some older ones will be leaving. The current roster has a decent blend of old and young, and several of the older players should have a few more years in them. That means that there are not many obvious candidates to either retire or move on to a new team next season. But the following four players have most likely donned a Colts uniform for the last time.
Four Indianapolis Colts who most likely will not be back in 2026
Let’s not include Philip Rivers in this conversation. What Rivers did this year became one of the most interesting stories in recent NFL history. It’s the kind of scenario that Hollywood makes movies about. Sadly, it did not have that Hollywood ending, but it is no less remarkable.
There is a virtually zero percent chance that Philip Rivers plays NFL football again. Then again, there was a virtually zero percent chance it would happen before it did, in fact, happen.
So we’ll leave that one alone.
Nor will we speculate on the future of two injured veterans – DeForest Buckner and Charvarius Ward. Both have given every indication that they intend to get healthy and resume their careers. Of the two, I would guess that Ward, though younger, might be more likely to retire due to repeated concussions. But no one has any real idea about his health and his feelings at this point.
The following four are easier to predict.
Daniel Scott, safety
Daniel Scott has led a snakebit life in the NFL. The safety was a fifth-round pick out of Cal in 2023 and when he has been on the field, Scott has impressed with both his athleticism and his savvy. But he never made it through the summer in his first two seasons.
A torn ACL one year and a ruptured Achilles the next threatened to end things for him in the NFL before they ever truly began. He finally made it to opening day this year, but lasted just four games in a backup role before a knee injury again sidelined him.
There has been some hope that Scott could return to action this season, but heading into the penultimate game, he remains out. He has been practicing, and perhaps fans will see him in Week 18. But it is hard to imagine Indy giving a roster spot to Scott next season. He simply has not been able to stay on the field – job one for any professional football player.
Ameer Abdullah, running back
The end of Ameer Abdullah’s career has been predicted before, yet the 2015 second-round draft pick from the University of Nebraska continues to defy Father Time. The Colts picked him up at the beginning of this season to help bolster a thin running back group, and when Tyker Goodson was banged up in October, he made his first appearance.
It briefly looked as if Indy had gotten a genuine steal when he made several nice plays in a Week 8 win over the Chargers. His 81-yard kickoff return early in the second half helped break the game open.
But he could not sustain that level of production. As others returned to health, Abdullah receded, and his fumbled kickoff last week against San Francisco put Indy in a hole they could never escape. Abdullah will be turn 33 this offseason and it may be time for the veteran to call it a day.
Even if he gives it another go, it almost certainly will not work with the Colts, who desperately need to find a reliable young back to help lessen the workload for Jonathan Taylor.
Samson Ebukam, edge
The three-year deal that Samson Ebukam singed prior to the 2023 season expires in March and he will become an unrestricted free agent. Unfortunately, he was never able to build on his breakout season in 2023, when he recorded a career-highs in sacks, tackles, and tackles-for-loss.
A torn Achilles robbed him of his 2024 season, and this year, at the age of 30, he has been a run-of-the-mill depth piece.
Ebukam has not performed all that badly in 2025, though he did miss a chunk of time in the middle of the season. He might be able to latch on with another team looking for depth. But the Colts need to develop younger edge rushers to pair with Laiatu Latu, and Ebukam does not appear to fit into those plans.
Braden Smith, offensive tackle
Braden Smith is one of eight current Colts who have played in more than 100 career games for the franchise. Several of the others – Mo Alie-Cox, Grover Stewart, Luke Rhodes – may either choose to retire or else struggle to make the roster next year.
But of all the veterans, I think Smith is the one who is least likely to return. It has little to do with his performance or his age. He still has some good years left and should catch on with a club that needs a reliable, experienced right tackle. But I don’t think it will be in Indy.
Smith’s current neck injury could impact his free agency options, but even so, he should command a decent contract. Indy has its right tackle of the future in Jalen Travis. He is significantly cheaper and obviously younger.
Most importantly, in his brief audition after Smith’s injury, Travis has proven he is ready to start. He should be the Colts’ right tackle in 2026, and Braden Smith should be helping out with a new team.
Injuries and surprises will occur over the offseason, which could change the outcomes for any of these players, but at this point, it appears that these four veterans will not be wearing Indianapolis Colts jerseys next season.