The Indianapolis Colts are potentially in a transitional year in 2026. The jobs of both head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard are certainly not guaranteed for 2027 at this point in time. The duo has failed to make the playoffs in three seasons together, while Ballard has one playoff win since taking the job in 2017.
Winning could solve everything, at least for one year, but the Colts are off to a rough 2-3 start. Injuries have plagued the team early this season, with top receiver Alec Pierce being a crucial absence. He has only appeared in two games and is currently on injured reserve.
This means Ballard needs to be on the lookout for any outside help. He found some in the form of veteran Darius Slayton just a few weeks ago. However, Slayton never saw the field and was released Friday morning.
Colts Move on From Darius Slayton Rather Quickly
Slayton only just signed with the Colts near the end of September to provide some depth with Pierce’s absence and Keenan Allen’s recurring absences. This made sense as Slayton had history with Daniel Jones, as the two were teammates with the New York Giants for several seasons. Both were part of the team’s 2019 draft class.
Slayton’s career-high in receiving yards for a season is 770, so he was never a truly explosive option. Yet he provided a veteran presence and seemed like a smart addition for the Colts.
Something, however, went wrong along the way as Slayton has been released without ever playing a snap for his second NFL team. He seemed ready to play last week, only for a knee injury to hold him out. That seemed to be enough for the Colts to decide to simply move on.
For Ballard, it represents another failure to add talent to a team in need of help.
Where Colts Stand at WR
Daniel Jones has had to spread the ball around quite a bit through five games. Tight end Tyler Warren leads the team with 30 receptions, following by receiver Josh Downs at 20. Keenan Allen is next at 18. This is not what the team had in mind when breaking camp and beginning the season.
Downs and Allen will now be relied upon as the go-to receivers, while Warren should remain the top target in general. Jonathan Taylor will also be expected to pick up some slack as a receiver.
Losing Pierce was a massive blow for a team already thin at the receiver position. Add in Allen’s legal troubles and injuries, and the initial 2026 plan by Ballard seems to be a rough one.
He may decide to go out and get yet another new receiver, yet it’s hard to imagine finding a true game-changer at this point in the season. The best option would be via trade, but trading away even more valuable picks could be a risky move if Ballard wants to keep his job and be successful in it.
Colts GM Chris Ballard Sees Yet Another Decision Fail