The Indianapolis Colts re-signed quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce, but do those moves somehow make the team better? A new power ranking by Pro Football Focus doesn't think so, and for good reason.
PFF (subscription required) lists Indy at No. 21 in its "post-free agency" ranking, which is slightly odd as free agency is far from over. Still, the projected most impactful players are probably off the board, though that doesn't mean general manager Chris Ballard cannot still find an impactful player or two for his team.
The main reason PFF has Indianapolis listed as a nearly bottom-third of the NFL team is that all the Colts have truly done is bring back Jones and Pierce. They were already on the team when Indy began the 2025 season 7-1, but were also on the team when the Colts began to slide.
Pro Football Focus gives the Indianapolis Colts a brutal spot in new power ranking
It is easy to forget that after that hot start, Indianapolis was on the outside looking in at the playoff picture by Week 12. Injuries to key players, such as defensive lineman DeForest Buckner, had taken a toll, but so had an uptick in competition. Indy had a pretty easy schedule in the first half of this past season.
Mason Cameron of PFF argues, "While Pierce and Jones were crucial pieces to the early Colts' success on offense in 2025, dedicating that level of cap resources was a boom-or-bust decision. Their roster improvement in 2026 hinges on in-house depth options and mid- to late-round draft picks."
Cameron is not wrong. Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen are putting a lot of faith into what fans and the team were seeing in the first eight games of last season wasn't a lie. Indianapolis was beating up on some weak teams and couldn't replicate the success once the schedule got tougher.
A bit more to the story does exist, however. Jones was playing on a broken fibula before tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 14, and cornerbacks Sauce Gardner (calf) and Charvarius Ward (multiple concussions) were also missing games.
Will a healthy Colts roster mean a playoff spot in 2026? Ballard and Steichen are counting on that. The GM and HC are also banking their future positions with the organization on that as well. If the Indianapolis Colts miss the playoffs in 2026, both Ballard and Steichen should be fired.
Ballard should get credit for bringing back Jones and Pierce, but while he created cap room with the signings, he also needed to trade productive veteran wide receiver Michael Pittman and defensive leader Zaire Franklin. With the cash created, Ballard hasn't done much else.
As for the power ranking, Indy's spot at 21 fits them in at number three among AFC South teams. The Tennessee Titans sit at 27, while the Jacksonville Jaguars are 14, and the Houston Texans are nine.