When Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard stunned the NFL by acquiring cornerback Sauce Gardner from the New York Jets at the trade deadline, he made it pretty clear that the future is now for the Colts.
Since Gardner is still a very young player, this move wasn’t quite as drastic as deals pulled off by the Bucs and Rams in recent years. Both those teams went all in on aging QBs in (successful) pursuit of Super Bowl glory.
But Ballard did give up a couple of first-round draft picks, along with 2024 second-round pick Adonai Mitchell, to acquire Gardner. Any way you look at it, it’s a bold move.
Five Colts players who will not be back in 2026
Mitchell’s days in Indianapolis seemed to be numbered from the moment he carelessly lost the ball while just about to score a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4.
With Alec Pierce, the Colts have a similar player who has proven to be more productive and reliable. The change of scenery could be just what Mitchell needs. It seemed clear that despite his obvious talent, he did not have a future in Indianapolis.
The same can be said about several other members of the 2025 Colts. Some are older and some are young. Some may even have an important role to play on this year’s squad. But for all these players, 2025 is likely to be their final year in Indiana.
Ameer Abduallah, running back
Abdullah has made his mark with Indy despite his brief tenure. The veteran runner didn’t even sign with the club until the first week of the season and wasn’t promoted to the active roster until October. But he proved his worth against the Chargers, accounting for 136 total yards on just five touches.
Abdullah may prove invaluable going forward as a kick returner and in occasional relief of Jonathan Taylor. But he turns 33 this summer. Abdullah has defied the clock up until now, but his time will run out at some point. The Colts know they need a younger, long-term option behind Taylor. Abdullah cannot provide that.
Samson Ebukam, edge
Ebukam’s future with the Colts was in doubt even before his latest injury. The knee problem, which has caused him to miss the past two games, has further clouded his future. The edge rusher missed all of 2024 with an Achilles injury. His comeback this season was moving at a modest pace. He is 30 years old now and has dealt with significant injuries in consecutive seasons.
Hopefully, he will return to action at some point this year and provide a much-needed pass rush, but as with Abduallah, Indy knows it must develop the next generation of edge rushers. Ebukam does not fit into those plans.
Chris Lammons, cornerback
This one hurts. I am a big Chris Lammons fan. Virtually every team I have ever covered has that one corner who isn’t big enough or fast enough to grab a roster spot. That player sticks around because whenever he does get on the field, he makes good plays.
Most of these guys are special teams standouts. That fits Lammons. But I also like him in the secondary. He has proven to be an effective cover corner who can play both man and zone.
But the writing is on the wall. Gardner is now on the squad. Justin Walley will be healthy next year. Jaylon Jones is just 23. So is Jonathan Edwards. Mekhi Blackmon is 26. Those players represent the future. Lammons is a solid part of the present, but he’ll be 30 at the start of next season and, barring another catastrophic run of injuries, does not appear to have a place on next year’s club.
Anthony Richardson, quarterback
Anthony Richardson’s NFL journey is far from over. But it will not continue in Indianapolis. If Daniel Jones has proven anything, it is that teams should not make snap decisions on highly-touted QB prospects. It is the hardest position to play in all major team sports, and some players simply need more time to grow into the role. Jones, Darnold, Mayfield... the list goes on.
But all of those players found success after they moved on from the team that drafted them, and Richardson will have to do the same. He is not accurate, and he doesn’t read coverage as well as he will have to. That’s typical of inexperienced college quarterbacks.
Those are hard things to learn once a player is in the NFL, especially if he is thrust into a starting role immediately. No one knows how Richardson’s NFL story will end. But it won’t end in Indianapolis.
Daniel Scott, safety
Scott is the flip side of the Richardson story. He arrived as an under-the-radar 5th round prospect in 2023 and was promptly hurt during each of his first two offseasons. He entered his third year, never having played in an NFL game. Things were looking up this preseason.
His solid play, combined with an injury or two in front of him, resulted in a roster spot. Scott was a presence on special teams through the first month of the season and even took the occasional defensive snap.
Then another injury landed him on IR. There is no timetable for his return. Rodney Thomas has established himself as the primary backup to starters Cam Bynum and Nick Cross. Rookie Trey Washington is now taking Scott’s snaps, and next season, Hunter Wohlers will be back as well.
All of those players are Scott’s age or younger. It will be hard for the Colts to have confidence in Scott’s ability to stay healthy going into next season.