The Indianapolis Colts are entering yet another pivotal offseason. Coming off a year where organizational expectations reached Super Bowl heights, the team now faces numerous questions for 2026. One of which is, what free agents does the team choose to retain?
The Colts have 31 remaining players who will enter the free agency portal, nine of whom played over 30% of snaps this season. The Colts have the 14th most cap space in the league in 2026, but have a lot of players who could command a heavy payday.
Colts’ Key Players Due For Big Contracts
GettyIndianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce’s 21.3 average yards-per-catch rate led the entire NFL.
Alec Pierce headlines the top of Indianapolis’ wishlist resignings. Pierce led the NFL in yards per catch for the second straight year while also surpassing 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. He was a vital piece to the Colts’ offensive success and acted as the team’s top option for solid stretches of the year.
Pierce is a homegrown star and has expressed interest in returning to the Colts.
“I’ve got great relationships here with this organization and the people in this building,” Pierce said in his latest media availability.
“This city, they’ve done so much for me so far, so you know I’d definitely love to continue to be a part of this organization.”
Pierce is expected to be a hot commodity for teams needing receiver help in the offseason, and Spotrac currently has him projected to make an average salary of $20.2 million over a four-year deal.
On the defensive side of the ball, safety Nick Cross has worked himself into a new contract opportunity as well.
ESPN’s Jordan Schatz wrote a piece discussing every team’s offseason outlook and projected that Cross to land a lucrative extension with the team.
“The Colts will give a big extension to 25-year-old safety Nick Cross”, Schatz wrote. “He did well in my coverage DVOA metric and was involved in 14.0% of Colts defensive plays, seventh among safeties through Week 17. His average run tackle came after a gain of just 4.4 yards (ranked sixth among safeties through Week 17).”
Among all other notable pieces that are open for resigning, the Colts still have to address the most important position.
Colts’ Potential Options For Resigning Daniel Jones
GettyQuarterback Daniel Jones threw for 3,101 yards and 19 touchdowns while rushing for an additional 164 yards and five touchdowns across 13 games in 2025.
Daniel Jones is a free agent and is coming off a significant injury. The Achilles tear Jones suffered marks the second major leg injury he has sustained in his career. While he was instrumental to Indy’s success early in the season, the injury forces the Colts into a difficult predicament when it comes to determining a potential extension.
When asked about the future of the Colts’ signal caller, general manager Chris Ballard answered optimistically yet still cautiously.
“I’m not a doctor, and I’m not God in terms of knowing what the future’s gonna hold in his healing,” Ballard said.
“Daniel is 28 years old, and he’s a pretty freaky talent in terms of athletic ability. So no, I do feel confident that he’ll make it back. Will he be the version you saw right away? Maybe not, but he’s still going to be really good.”
Ballard finished his remarks with, “I think Daniel Jones has a really bright future here in Indianapolis.”
This indicates that the team plans to retain him, and while even Jones expressed interest in returning, he also noted that the financial aspect will play a role.
“I’ve enjoyed being here. Obviously, there’s a business side to it, and I understand that, but I’ve really enjoyed being here around these people”, Jones said in his latest media availability.
A long-term extension for Jones is projected to be around $40-50 million annually. The team could opt to franchise tag him on a one-year deal that would cost around $46 million for 2026.
All options are still on the table, but as more teams begin to take a look at what is available across the league, expect the Colts to prioritize handling their own free agents relatively quickly.
Colts Projected to Pay Big Money for Key Free Agent Starter