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The Indianapolis Colts missed the playoffs following the 2021 NFL season by only one game. But sometimes, how the ending of the previous season can shape how the next campaign begins.
Center Ryan Kelly argues that’s the case for the Colts. While appearing on the Official Colts Podcast on April 19, Kelly talked about the mindset of the team as it begins voluntary offseason workouts.
“This will be Year 7 for me, and those two, three-year periods where Chris [Ballard] was really drafting a lot of players and developing those players, those guys are starting to look into [Year] 4, 5, 6,” Kelly said. “I think you start looking at that, and the time is now.
“I think there’s no pressure on each player but individually and collectively as a group, we know what we can do and know that it’s not gonna last forever. So I think that there is definitely a sense of urgency to get it going now.”
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Colts Make Major Improvements
The offseason started slowly for the Colts, but general manager Chris Ballard ended up improving the team in two of the most important areas on the roster. Then, Ballard also signed a former Defensive Player of the Year.
First, the Colts traded for former Pro Bowl defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. The 27-year-old pass rusher recorded 10.0 sacks last season. No one for the Colts reached 10.0 sacks in 2021.
Next, Indianapolis acquired quarterback Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons for a mere third-round pick. While Ryan turns 37 in May, he’s a former MVP and considered a major upgrade over the Indianapolis starter behind center from last year, Carson Wentz.
Mostly behind those two improvements, Pro Football Focus ranked the Colts the second-most improved team this offseason on April 3.
Then since April 3, the Colts have added several more pieces to its defense — mainly in the secondary. Most importantly, Indianapolis signed 2019 Defensive Player of the Year and cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
To acquire Ngakoue, the Colts traded cornerback Rock Ya-Sin to the Las Vegas Raiders. But Gilmore more than makes up for losing Ya-Sin. When healthy, PFF still ranks Gilmore one of the top cornerbacks in man-to-man coverage.
Indianapolis’ Championship Window
The Colts still have the NFL Draft to make longterm improvements to their roster. But, as Kelly alluded to, Indianapolis brings back a veteran roster that is ready to win now. It’s also a roster that may look very different in a year or two.
At quarterback, Ryan has two years remaining on his contract. When that deal expires, he will almost be 39. In all likelihood, the Colts will be back in the market for a quarterback by 2024.
Indianapolis isn’t tied to many expensive long-term contracts, so the organization should have the opportunity to fill more holes in free agency next year and the following March. But that also means the Colts won’t be keeping their 2022 roster intact beyond this season.
Spotrac reports Indianapolis has only 28 players signed for the 2023 season, which is ninth-fewest in the NFL. For the 2024 season, the Colts have 13 players signed — only four teams have fewer.
The group of players returning from last year’s team remember playing very well in the middle of last season. It’s now about this year’s Colts roster maintaining that success for long periods this fall.
“I don’t think [the sting] ever wears off. Just when you know what kind of caliber of a team you had and you look back at the stretch of run that we had where we were really playing great football. We just didn’t start great and we didn’t finish great,” said Kelly.
“I think that we’re all starting to kind of realize that we’re in the midst of our prime as players.”
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