Indianapolis Colts News

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said that wide receiver Alec Pierce (ankle) underwent ankle surgery, per ESPN's Stephen Holder. Pierce reportedly played through pain in the ankle last season. The surgery will keep him from participating in OTAs, but Pierce should be ready to go for training camp. The 25-year-old had the best year of his career in 2025, recording 47 receptions for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns on 84 targets across 15 games. The Colts rewarded Pierce earlier this offseason with a four-year, $114 million extension. The team also traded away veteran wideout Michael Pittman Jr., which could mean Pierce will be expected to expand his route tree beyond his usual downfield role. While it sounds as though Pierce should have a normal training camp, this ankle ailment will be something for fantasy managers to monitor heading into 2026.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. remains off the fantasy radar in all leagues, including dynasty formats. Richardson was benched for Daniel Jones at the start of last season and ultimately found himself on injured reserve for a large portion of the year due to an eye injury. As he remains behind Jones (and possibly Riley Leonard) on the depth chart, Richardson has requested a trade, with no such luck. The market for the former first-round pick is reportedly quite poor, and it doesn't sound like any teams are serious about trading for him. The same can be said about dynasty managers, who have no interest in pursuing Richardson, even if he doesn't cost much. Sure, he has rushing upside, but his tendency to turn the football over is such a liability. Across 11 games in 2023, Richardson amassed 1,814 passing yards, eight passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He did boost his fantasy stock slightly with 499 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns, but not enough to change his fantasy outlook. His days in Indy are likely numbered, and he can be dropped in most dynasty formats.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce was paid like a top-tier receiver this offseason, signing a four-year, $114 million extension. It's a hard-earned payday for Pierce, who eclipsed 1,000 yards last season and was the WR28 in PPR leagues. Still, it's a big investment for a receiver who had been third on the depth chart less than 12 months earlier. Now that he's paid like a No. 1 receiver, managers should expect him to be targeted like one every single week. His target rate will presumably increase from last year's mark of 5.6 targets per game. With Michael Pittman Jr. gone, the Colts could ask Pierce to abandon his deep-threat playing style and serve as more of a medium-range target for Daniel Jones. This might mean fewer explosive touchdowns, but it should result in a higher target share and more consistent production week in and week out. A 25-year-old who is under contract for four years is typically a very safe and dependable option for fantasy managers, as he has job security and the team is investing enough money to force-feed him targets. Managers should hold Pierce, who ranks as the WR35 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings and possesses top-24 upside.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) is working his way back from a season-ending Achilles tear that he suffered in Week 14 of the 2025 season. Jones was enjoying a career resurgence with the Colts before the crushing injury. He finished the year with 261 completions, 3,101 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions, 164 rushing yards, and five rushing touchdowns across 13 games. Prior to the Colts' Week 11 bye, Jones ranked as the overall QB5 in fantasy football. He played well for long enough that we can be confident his success was legitimate and not just a fluke. With that in mind, fantasy managers should be excited about the value he'll offer upon his return from injury. Still in his twenties and signed through 2027, Jones can be a short- to medium-term quarterback option in fantasy football. He's a top-12 quarterback option in redraft leagues, but with some uncertainty in his long-term outlook, he ranks as low as the QB27 in dynasty formats.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor was a high-end RB1 and a dark-horse MVP candidate throughout the first half of the 2025 NFL season. Across his first 10 games of the year, he was averaging 113.9 rushing yards, 3.0 receptions, 26.0 receiving yards, and 1.7 touchdowns per contest. He ranked as the overall RB1 in PPR leagues from Week 1 to Week 10, and it wasn't particularly close; he was a full 25.1 points ahead of the RB2 during that span, Christian McCaffrey, and a full 89.9 points ahead of the RB4, Jahmyr Gibbs. Things went downhill from there, though, as the Colts hit their bye week and soon after lost Daniel Jones to a season-ending Achilles injury. The suboptimal quarterback play of Riley Leonard and Philip Rivers made it challenging for Jonathan Taylor to maintain his superstar role. He averaged 12.6 fantasy points per game (23rd-best) the rest of the way. Jones has a strong chance to be healthy in Week 1 of the 2026 season, which would be great news for Taylor. The 27-year-old has proven that he can still be an elite ball-carrier if the offense is in decent shape. He continues to be treated as a top running back option in RotoBaller's latest dynasty football rankings, where he ranks as the overall RB6.

Indianapolis Colts running back DJ Giddens was a fifth-round pick in a 2025 NFL Draft teeming with running back talent, and he quickly became a popular dynasty stash as the primary backup to one of fantasy's elite in Jonathan Taylor. As a rookie, Giddens dealt with minor injuries and was held out of several games as a healthy scratch, with Taylor leaned on as a workhorse, and the team favoring veteran Ameer Abdullah for his contributions in the passing game. Limited to nine games in total, Giddens finished his first season with only 96 yards on a 3.7 per carry average, and failed to record a single reception. Even with a notably weaker incoming class of rookie running backs, Giddens is no lock to even make the roster after a disappointing 2025 and would be unlikely to handle a full workload should Taylor miss time.

The Indianapolis Colts and cornerback Kenny Moore II have mutually agreed to seek a trade as the veteran enters his 10th season and the final year of a $30 million deal signed in 2024, as reported by NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Moore has been an impactful leader on Indianapolis' defense, heralded for his hard-nosed play in the running game. He topped 100 tackles in his lone Pro Bowl season in 2021, making him an IDP league-winner, but nagging injuries have seen his play taper off since. In more of a rotational role in 2025, he was limited to 55 tackles, the lowest since his rookie season. Moore will bring grit and experience to his new team, but according to Schefter, both sides have agreed it is time to move on.

Before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a late-round pick swap, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. had led the Indianapolis Colts in targets for five consecutive seasons. In his absence, one of the pass catchers most expected to benefit from the newly formed triple-digit target vacuum is tight end Tyler Warren, fresh off a rookie season in which his 76 receptions led all first-year players. He was also the third most targeted tight end in the league, and with Pittman no longer taking up residence between the numbers, Warren's target share could rise to the ranks of the fantasy elite. Alec Pierce signed a top-of-the market deal to stay in Indianapolis as the primary downfield and boundary option, but he has never cracked 85 targets or 50 receptions in a season, while Josh Downs, who could offer more direct target competition on short to intermediate routes, is listed at only 171 pounds and has seen his snap count drop in each of his professional seasons.

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard isn't ruling out the possibility of quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr. (eye) remaining with the team in 2026, according to Stephen Holder of ESPN. "There's definitely a scenario there. He's a good dude, and he's talented," Ballard said on Monday. With Daniel Jones (Achilles) becoming the starter in 2025 and with Richardson suffering a freak season-ending eye injury, the former fourth overall pick's future in Indy has been very cloudy since late last season. The Colts gave Richardson and his representation permission to seek a trade in late February, but no deal is imminent, and it's unclear if one will ever materialize. The Green Bay Packers are among the teams most interested as they search for a replacement for Malik Willis behind starter Jordan Love. Richardson's inability to stay healthy and the emergence of Riley Leonard as a backup option to Jones have made Richardson a prime candidate for a new start elsewhere. The 23-year-old's dynasty value would most likely benefit from a change of scenery and potentially a better shot at earning a starting role again.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs is a strong candidate to earn more targets during the 2026 season. The Colts traded away Michael Pittman Jr. earlier this month, bumping Downs up to No. 2 on the depth chart. He might not be as heavily involved as Alec Pierce, who just fetched a $114 million deal, but he still has a chance to surpass his previous career-high of 107 targets. He was just the WR51 in half-PPR leagues with Daniel Jones (Achilles) healthy, but he also missed two games during that window. On a more compelling note, he caught at least six passes in four of his first eight games last season, adding three touchdowns along the way. Pittman's 111 vacated targets have to go somewhere. Presumably, they'll mostly be split among Pierce, Downs, and Tyler Warren. We wouldn't be surprised to see Downs return to his 2024 form, which included a top-36 finish at the wide receiver position in fantasy football. He's an intriguing buy-low in dynasty leagues as he takes on a larger role and gets his quarterback back from injury.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce hit free agency at the age of 25 after topping 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career. In a free agent class lacking proven studs, Pierce took advantage of his well-timed situation and agreed to a four-year, $116 million deal to return to the Colts. With Indianapolis trading away veteran wideout Michael Pittman Jr. on the same day, the team removed any questions about who their number one receiver would be moving forward. Pierce's competition for targets will not be insignificant, with tight end Tyler Warren topping 100 targets as a rookie and Josh Downs finishing 2025 with one more target than Pierce (with an additional game played). Where Pierce stands out, both for the Colts and as a potential fantasy league-winner, is through his usage. His 20.0-yard ADoT and 21.3 yards per reception were both second in the NFL behind only Tyquan Thornton, who got there on fewer than half the targets. If Pittman's 100+ vacated targets are divvied up even close to evenly between Pierce, Warren, and Downs, there is little doubt as to who will benefit the most. If Pierce can hit 1,000 yards on 47 receptions, something closer to a 70-catch season could put him among the true fantasy difference makers.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) continues to work his way back from injury. He recently signed a two-year extension to keep him in Indianapolis through 2027, but he's not a lock to start Week 1 this upcoming season. Depending on how his recovery goes, Jones could miss the early portion of the season, leaving Riley Leonard in line to start. Managers likely won't have much clarity on his timeline until the middle or end of the summer, leaving plenty of questions about his fantasy value for 2026. When healthy last year, Jones was a legitimate QB1 in fantasy football. He ranked as the overall QB9 before getting injured, averaging 253.4 passing yards, 13.3 rushing yards, and 2.0 total touchdowns per game. Jones' ADP might end up pricing him as a top-10 quarterback, meaning you'll have no choice but to draft him as a QB1. If that happens, spending a draft pick on a decent QB2 is imperative, since you might be without Jones for the first few weeks of the season. When he does return, though, he should offer consistent production as a weekly fantasy starter.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor "still headlines" the team's running backs room, according to The Athletic's James Boyd, and there "hasn't been much chatter" about Taylor's workload as he heads into the final year of his contract in 2026. The 27-year-old was the RB2 in half-PPR fantasy points in 2025, behind only Christian McCaffrey, and he's coming off the fourth 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. He was also named to his third Pro Bowl in his sixth season in the league. The former second-rounder (41st overall) in 2020 out of Wisconsin played in every game in 2025 for the first time since his second year in the NFL, and he tied his career-high with 18 rushing touchdowns. Taylor was a beast for fantasy managers and appears on track to receive similar volume in 2026 as a high-end RB1 target in fantasy drafts. His 323 carries led the league, and it was the second-most rushing attempts he's had in his six-year career.

Indianapolis Colts running back DJ Giddens was a popular selection in rookie drafts last year because of his role behind Jonathan Taylor. Managers saw that Taylor had missed 16 games over the last three seasons and believed that Giddens could end up starting some games if the star running back missed time. The logic was sound, but Taylor ended up having one of the healthiest and most successful seasons of his career, logging 1,963 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns without missing any games. Giddens had 12 carries for 41 yards in Week 1, but he was limited to just six touches over the next six weeks as Taylor played the vast majority of the snaps. The rookie ended up being a healthy scratch for roughly half the season, as Indianapolis rotated him, Tyler Goodson, and Ameer Abdullah in depth roles. Giddens got back into action in Week 18, rushing for 30 carries on eight yards. In games where he played at least one-quarter of the snaps, Giddens averaged 10 touches and 3.55 yards per carry. He wasn't amazing by any means, but he flashed enough upside to suggest that the Colts could turn to him as Taylor's primary backup in 2026. Now, we're back in a familiar situation, with Giddens' fantasy value hinging on Taylor's availability. The Kansas State product should be viewed as an encouraging buy-low option in dynasty leagues this offseason, especially for managers who roster Taylor and want to also add his handcuff.

The Indianapolis Colts announced on Wednesday that they signed free-agent wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to an undisclosed deal. Westbrook-Ikhine had a career year in 2024 in his final year with the Tennessee Titans, catching 32 of his 60 passes for 497 yards and nine touchdowns in 17 games played (nine starts). The 28-year-old spent last season with the Miami Dolphins and came back down to Earth in a big way with only 11 receptions on 20 targets for 89 yards and no touchdowns in 15 games (three starts). Michael Pittman Jr. is no longer in Indy, but at best, Westbrook-Ikhine will be the team's No. 3 wideout to begin the 2026 campaign behind Alec Pierce and Josh Downs. Target-wise, he'd be fourth on the totem pole with tight end Tyler Warren also in the mix. Expect the former undrafted free agent out of Indiana to battle for the WR3 role with Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould, and Laquon Treadwell.

The Athletic's James Boyd says he expects tight end Tyler Warren's volume to increase in 2026 in the absence of receiver Michael Pittman Jr., and he takes it a step further and says that regardless of who the Colts add at wideout, Warren "will be the team's No. 2 pass-catcher." Warren finished as the TE6 in half-PPR scoring in his first year in the NFL, catching 76 of his 112 targets for 817 yards and four touchdowns in 17 games played. His production tapered off after quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon late in the year, but he still had a promising rookie year overall. His 76 catches were second-most on the team. The Colts re-signed tight ends Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree, but they will continue to primarily be used as blockers. Warren is one of the top dynasty TEs going into 2026, and he'll also have top-five upside at his position in single-year formats as long as Jones doesn't suffer any setbacks in his rehab.

The Indianapolis Colts signed free-agent veteran defensive tackle Jerry Tillery to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday, according to James Boyd of The Athletic. Tillery will head to the AFC South after spending his seventh year in the NFL in 2025 with the Kansas City Chiefs. The 29-year-old former first-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2019 out of Notre Dame had 20 tackles (eight solo), 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery in 17 games (three starts) in KC last year. Tillery will most likely compete for a rotational role on the interior of the Colts' defensive line in 2026, meaning he won't be on the IDP fantasy radar. Tiller has only started 53 of the 113 games he's appeared in over the course of his seven-year NFL career with four different teams. He has a total of 195 tackles (97 solo), 14 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, 46 QB hits, four pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries in his time in the NFL.

Veteran tight end Mo Alie-Cox has agreed to a one-year deal that will keep him with the Indianapolis Colts for his 10th season in 2026. At 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds, Alie-Cox is a red-zone threat that must be accounted for, as evidenced by his 16 career touchdowns, but his most notable contribution is as one of the premier run-blocking tight ends in the league. Three-time Pro-Bowl running back Jonathan Taylor has topped 1,400 rushing yards and double-digit touchdowns in back-to-back seasons, and if the recently re-signed Daniel Jones can return to form following a season-ending Achilles injury, Taylor is a legitimate threat for the second rushing title of his career.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor finished 2025 as the RB2 despite a late-season injury to quarterback Daniel Jones that allowed defenses to stack the box against him for the final month of the season. He is currently valued around RB7 and coming off the board near the 3/4 turn in dynasty startups. Still only 27 years old and on pace for nearly 2,200 yards from scrimmage and 24 touchdowns prior to the Jones injury, Taylor is in play for the overall RB1 in 2026, making him an obvious buy for contenders or drafters starting with a win-now approach. Recent reports have indicated that Jones could be ready for the start of the season, and aside from the loss of Michael Pittman Jr., who was shipped to Pittsburgh for a late-round pick swap, the Colts offense will look quite similar to the unit that began 2025 on a historic tear en route to a 7-1 start.

The Green Bay Packers are a "team to monitor" regarding Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr., per ESPN's Stephen Holder. Holder reports that no deal is imminent, but that Richardson Sr. is known to be available via trade. The former number four overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft lost his starting role to Daniel Jones (Achilles) heading into the 2025 season, and the Colts recently re-signed Jones to a lucrative new contract. The Packers have Jordan Love firmly in place as their QB1 of both the present and the future. However, Green Bay recently lost former backup quarterback Malik Willis, who signed with the Miami Dolphins in free agency. Richardson Sr. owns a similar dual-threat profile to Willis, so the Packers could be viewing him in a similar mold. Based on the job Green Bay did to rehab Willis after he flamed out with the Tennessee Titans, a trade to the Packers might be the best-case scenario for Richardson Sr.'s long-term outlook.