Indianapolis Colts News

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.

The Indianapolis Colts re-signed wide receiver Laquon Treadwell to an undisclosed one-year deal on Friday, league sources told James Boyd of The Athletic. The former first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2016 will now enter his third year with the Colts and his 11th season overall in the NFL. Boyd writes that Treadwell is a "solid special-teamer with no ego." The 30-year-old veteran out of Mississippi is unlikely to be a factor on offense for the Colts in 2026 as primarily a special teams asset. Treadwell has caught just one pass since the start of the 2023 season and has 111 receptions for 1,242 yards and five touchdowns in 93 games (24 starts) over his 10 years in the league. In the 10 games he appeared in, Treadwell didn't have a single target last year. He'll provide depth at the WR position behind Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, and Ashton Dulin.

Across 17 games as a rookie in 2025, Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren recorded 76 receptions for 817 yards and four touchdowns on 112 targets. Like the rest of the Colts offense, Warren's production faded as the season progressed. After Indianapolis' Week 11 bye, the 23-year-old failed to log more than five receptions for 45 receiving yards in any of the team's final seven contests. Still, Warren showed significant upside in his first NFL campaign and should be well-positioned to re-capture some of his first-half magic in 2026. For one, the Colts should be getting back quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles), who missed the team's final four games of 2025 after suffering a torn Achilles tendon. Perhaps most importantly, Indianapolis traded wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers, opening the door for Warren to be the team's clear lead target-earner in 2026 and beyond. Warren should be considered an elite dynasty tight end option for fantasy managers.

The Indianapolis Colts re-signed tight end Drew Ogletree to an undisclosed one-year deal on Friday, league sources told James Boyd of The Athletic. The former sixth-round pick in 2022 out of Youngstown State missed his entire rookie season due to a torn ACL in his knee. Since then, he has had four touchdown catches in three years and has mostly been used as a blocker on offense. Ogletree has a total of 22 catches for 283 yards and four touchdowns on 41 targets in his three seasons played in Indianapolis. Last year was his worst stat-wise, as the 27-year-old caught just four passes on six targets for 27 yards and one touchdown in 15 games (five starts). Ogletree isn't even a stash option in dynasty/keeper leagues and could be the TE4 for the Colts going into next season, behind Tyler Warren, Will Mallory, and Sean McKeon.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs is a candidate to get more involved on offense after the team traded away Michael Pittman Jr. earlier this week. Pittman's departure for Pittsburgh leaves Downs and the newly-extended Alec Pierce as Indianapolis' top two wide receivers. Pierce's $116 million deal indicates that he's the new No. 1 receiver on the Colts, but there's still plenty of room for Downs to exist and contribute. The 24-year-old had 58 catches, 566 yards, and four touchdowns last year. Those were subpar numbers, but part of the blame can be placed on the state of the Colts' offense during the back half of the season with Philip Rivers at quarterback. With Daniel Jones (Achilles) returning and Pittman shipped away, Downs will have a chance to return to his 2024 form, when he was the Colts' No. 2 receiver and finished as the overall WR35 in PPR leagues. A top-36 finish is well within reach for Downs in 2026, making him a potential buy-low dynasty option this offseason.

The Indianapolis Colts have signed free agent defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Terms and duration of the contract weren't disclosed, but it's likely a short-term deal, especially since Nnadi has signed a one-year contract in each of the previous four offseasons. That strategy paid off for him last year, as he initially signed with the Jets but then was traded to Kansas City, where he had spent his first seven NFL campaigns. With the Chiefs last year, he made 15 appearances (11 starts) while amassing 16 tackles and one quarterback hit. He's not a major pass-rush threat, tallying just one sack over the last four years. However, he still offers solid depth in the Colts' defense behind dependable veteran DeForest Buckner.

The Indianapolis Colts and quarterback Daniel Jones agreed to a two-year, $88 million deal on Wednesday that could be worth up to $100 million, multiple sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Jones will get $50 million in the first year, and it's the largest two-year contract in history. It officially makes Indiana Jones the Colts' franchise QB after his impressive first year with the team in 2025. The 28-year-old won't have to play the 2026 season on the transition tag, which would have paid him $37.83 million this year. Before tearing his right Achilles tendon in Week 14, the former sixth overall pick in 2019 by the New York Giants out of Duke had thrown for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Jones looked good last year in his first year with the team, but his uncertain recovery from a major injury will make him a pretty risky QB2 selection in fantasy football drafts later this year.

Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report that the Indianapolis Colts and quarterback Daniel Jones (Achilles) have made "significant progress" on a two-year extension and that there is "optimism that a deal could get done" on Wednesday. Indianapolis placed the transition tag on Jones earlier this offseason, so the veteran quarterback is guaranteed $37.83 million in 2026 if no extension agreement is reached. Jones was in the midst of a breakout season in his first year with the Colts in 2025, completing 68% of his pass attempts for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions across 13 starts. However, the 28-year-old suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in Week 14. It's unclear at this point whether Jones will be ready for the start of the 2026 season. His fantasy value is heavily influenced by his legs (20 career rushing touchdowns), so fantasy managers may want to be cautious with Jones until he proves he is back to full health.

The Indianapolis Colts and quarterback Daniel Jones have made progress on a long-term deal, but nothing has been finalized yet, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Both sides remain in contact. The Colts placed the transition tag on Jones, which will pay him a fully guaranteed $37.83 million for 2026 if he doesn't sign a long-term extension. Jones' representatives reportedly countered a previous long-term offer by Indy and asked for $50 million per season. The two sides were pretty far apart on the numbers, but it sounds like they're getting closer to a middle ground to lock Jones up as their starter under center for the future. The 28-year-old former sixth overall pick by the New York Giants in 2019 out of Duke was having a career year in his first year in Indy in 2025, throwing for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions before tearing his Achilles in the second half of the year. It sounds like something will eventually get done, and he'll return to the Colts. As far as Jones' fantasy value goes, there will be a lot of skepticism with him spending all offseason rehabbing his Achilles tendon tear.