The Colts were on top of the world through 10 weeks of 2025: 8-2 with a league-best +115 point differential. This was thanks in large part to a Daniel Jones-led offense that led the NFL in scoring while putting up per-drive efficiency numbers that were getting mentioned in the same breath as great teams like the 1999 Rams. Throw in Jonathan Taylor playing like the best running back in football and the decision to trade for stud Jets CB Sauce Gardner, and this looked like a legit Super Bowl contender.

… And then Jones got hurt, and the Colts lost each of their last seven games. Getting to see 44-year-old literal Grandpa Philip Rivers was fun and all, but unfortunately the team simply wilted down the stretch.

• 2025: 8-9 (+54 point differential, preseason win total: 7.5)
• Points per game: 27.4 (8th)
• EPA per pass: +0.1 (11th)
• EPA per rush: +0.06 (1st)
• Points per game against: 24.2 (21st)
• EPA per pass against: +0.08 (17th)
• EPA per rush against: -0.1 (10th)

It might be tough for the Colts to make many sweeping changes, as securing key free agents like Jones, WR Alec Pierce, EDGE Samson Ebukam, and RT Braden Smith will seemingly soak up much of the team's available cap room. That aforementioned midseason trade for Gardner also leaves them without a first-round pick. Accordingly, the most likely path to Indy fulfilling the following key team needs is probably just by bringing back many familiar faces.

What Do The Indianapolis Colts Need To Address In The 2026 Offseason?

Need 1: Quarterback

Which will cease to be a major need if/when the Colts extend Jones. The 28-year-old much-maligned former Giant was enjoying the best season of his seven-year career before suffering a devastating Achilles tear.

• EPA per dropback: +0.15 (8th)
• Passer rating: 100.2 (9th)
• QBR: 63.7 (8th)
• Yards per attempt: 8.1 (4th)
• Completion rate: 68% (6th)

The backup QB room should be in a decent enough spot between Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson, who has requested a trade from the Colts. Though keep in mind that the team was clearly a bit reluctant to trust either (banged-up) option down the stretch of 2025. Richardson just recently regained his full eyesight after suffering an orbital eye fracture during the season.

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Need 2: EDGE

Each of Samson Ebukam, Tyquan Lewis and Kwity Paye are free agents, leaving the team with the league's fourth-fewest 2026 dollars devoted to their EDGE room. Obviously DT DeForest Buckner is a stud and soaking up most of the position group's available salary, but he'll also be 32 in March and is coming off a season-ending neck injury.

Ultimately, the Colts were a bottom-10 defense in pressure rate—they'll need to really have faith in youngsters like Laiatu Latu and JT Tuimoloau taking major leaps if they let their veteran free agents at the position take their talents elsewhere.

Need 3: Offensive tackle

Give LT Bernhard Raimann credit for earning PFF's 12th-best overall grade among 100 qualified tackles, but RT Braden Smith ranked 54th and is an unrestricted free agent. Clearly the interior offensive line is a strength thanks to the continued dominance of eight-time Pro Bowler Quenton Nelson, although maybe it's time the group as a whole took another chance with an early pick on the group: Nelson (6th overall in 2018) is the last big ugly the Colts have used top-75 draft capital on.

Honorable mention

Aforementioned free agent Pierce might just be the best available option at the position on the open market, meaning the Colts could have to fork up big money if they want to maintain their productive WR trio. The decision to include Adonai Mitchell in the Gardner trade leaves the offense particularly thin on the outside behind Michael Pittman should they fail to bring back their 2024 and 2025 leading receiver … The linebacker room is the league's seventh cheapest unit entering 2026 with third-leading tackler Germaine Pratt hitting free agency.

If I were GM …

I'd get the band back together for one more crack at things and hope for a bit more goodwill from those pesky Injury Gods. Obviously losing Jones doomed the offense, but the defense also couldn't catch a break with big-money difference-makers Buckner, Gardner and Charvarius Ward all missing the majority of the team's key games down the stretch. Finding a way to re-sign Jones and Pierce would give the offense a quality chance to (again) operate at a high level, leaving the front office to add additional defensive depth with the team's pair of Day 2 picks.

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