The Indianapolis Colts could be facing the impending doom of starting 7-1 and finishing 8-9. One cannot completely blame the team's efficiency, of course. Injuries have certainly taken a toll, but they can't be the only reason for the losses.
Some players that general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen counted on to lead the team to 2025 success haven't worked out, even while healthy. Quarterback Daniel Jones and cornerback Sauce Gardner have missed time, but not the entire season, of course.
Ultimately, the Colts have a lot of questions to ask themselves in terms of contracts moving forward. Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce are free agents and should be re-signed. The player below? Maybe not so much.
Colts linebacker Germaine Pratt
Pratt is a Lou Anarumo acolyte who played for the defensive coordinator when both were with the Cincinnati Bengals. After the Las Vegas Raiders released Pratt early this season, Indy snapped him up. He's been inconsistent ever since.
The truth is that neither of Indianapolis's inside linebackers is perfect. Zaire Franklin is a great leader, but he struggles greatly in coverage. So does Pratt. He's been a decent tackler with the Colts and solid in run support, but could Indy get an upgrade? Absolutely.
That might come in the 2026 NFL draft or in free agency. General manager Chris Ballard (assuming he is still the GM in March) has shown he isn't afraid to take a risk at off-ball linebacker, as long as the gamble is cheap. Maybe he will find a gem to replace Pratt.
Edge rusher Samson Ebukam
Ebukam is one of several edge rushers here for a key reason: They are all ineffective at chasing down quarterbacks. The 30-year-old has underperformed for the past two years, and bringing him back simply makes no sense. As iffy as some parts of Anarumo's scheme can be, it has produced some elite pass rushers.
In 12 games in 2025, Ebukam has produced just 21 pressures. Much too low for a player who has a cap hit of a bit over $10 million this season. He hasn't proven he should be re-signed, except for his first year in Indy in 2023. If he somehow manages to have two special games to end the season, he might rewrite the narrative.
Edge rusher Tyquan Lewis
Lewis is like Ebukam, but far worse. In 11 games, he has just 11 pressures and has whiffed on 25 percent of his tackle attempts. The question isn't whether Indianapolis should re-sign him, but why it hasn't already released him?
After all, Lewis is another 30-year-old edge rusher who has a cap hit of $7 million and hasn't earned his money. He has even been fairly awful in run support.
In fact, Lewis and Ebukam might prove that Ballard isn't actually all that great at roster building. He has a type, as far as edge rushers go. That is to sign them late in their 20s and hope they do well. Most of them don't.
Center Danny Pinter
Pinter is in a different situation than the edge rushers. He was chosen in the fifth round of the 2020 draft to almost certainly be a long-term backup. If he turned into a star, great, but he wasn't supposed to be that.
Instead, he needed to be a spot starter at a time of need, and he has that chance at least in Weeks 16 and 17. Against the San Francisco 49ers, starter Tanor Bortolini suffered a concussion, and Pinter steps in for the remaining 58 offensive snaps. He allowed four quarterback pressures in 39 pass-block snaps, including a sack. Not great.
He has consistently been bad in pass protection in his career, but with his career potentially on the line in Week 17 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Pinter could prove worthy of being signed on the cheap to be a backup again. If he fails, the Colts need to move on.
Edge rusher Kwity Paye
Paye was a first-round draft pick in 2021, and while he has never been atrocious, he certainly hasn't played worthy of such a lofty draft choice. One of his biggest issues is that he is so inconsistent. In 2025, for instance, he had 22 total QB pressures between Weeks 6 and 12, and just 10 in the other nine games.
He cannot be counted on from week to week, but maybe he will show in the final two games that he is worthy of keeping around at an affordable price. If he can get multiple sacks, for instance, he might give Chris Ballard pause. After all, the Indianapolis Colts are going to have to rebuild their edge rush group, and Paye might barely survive the change.