Updating Colts 2026 Free Agents Additions And Departures
- Colts must retain WR Alec Pierce, a breakout player in his contract year.
- Kicker Blake Grupe is likely to return after a solid season as the Colts' kicker.
- Colts face decisions on QB Daniel Jones' contract and the futures of veteran TEs Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree.
INDIANAPOLIS – We are going to see a plethora of Colts news items here in the month of March.
So to keep track of it all, view this as an updated run down on what the Colts have done and what is still left to do (more on the Zaire Franklin trade).
This article will keep you updated throughout free agency of the comings and goings.
Here is an updated list of the Colts 2026 free agency.
Newcomers/Re-Signs
LB-Akeem Davis-Gaither (Age: 29): Is this a starting linebacker for the Colts in 2026? That’s possible. Like we have seen a lot with Lou Anarumo, Davis-Gather has ample experience with the Colts DC. Davis-Gaither played 5 seasons for Anarumo in Cincinnati (11 starts). Davis-Gaither did start 13 games for the Cardinals last season. Given the variety of defensive looks Anarumo wants to give, having a veteran linebacker with familiarity in that system makes sense.
WR-Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (Age: 28): An IU product, Westbrook-Ikhine has been a back end of the depth chart wideout in his career with special teams history. Westbrook-Ikhine has 137 catches in 93 career games (11 catches with the Dolphins last season). I see Westbrook-Ikhine competing with Ashton Dulin, and potentially others, as the Colts fill out a wideout group that will be more of a collective in making up the loss of Michael Pittman Jr.
CB-Cam Taylor-Britt (Age: 26): Cornerback insurance comes from a former Lou Anarumo cornerback. Taylor-Britt was a 3-year starter with Anarumo, before losing his starting job with the arrival of a new defensive coordinator in Cincinnati last year. Taylor-Britt is coming off a Lisfranc foot injury, so he is likely limited this offseason.
DL-Jerry Tillery (Age: 29): A former Notre Dame product, Tillery is likely to be an interior depth piece for the Colts. He has 53 career starts and hasn’t missed a game since 2022. Tillery was a first-round pick of the Chargers in 2019 (when Shane Steichen was on staff) and has played for the Raiders, Vikings and Chiefs.
TE-Carson Towt (Age: 24): As we’ve seen a trend over the last decade or so, the Colts are trying to turn another college basketball player into a tight end. Towt, who has never played football before, was one of the more decorated rebounders in college basketball the last few years, playing at Northern Arizona and then finishing his career at Notre Dame for the 2025-26 season. The Colts have direct ties to the Notre Dame basketball program as Director of College Scouting Matt Terpening and ND head coach Micah Shrewsberry were high school classmates/teammates. View Towt as a potential practice squad project.
TE-Mo Alie-Cox (Age: 32): The longest tenured Colts player not named Luke Rhodes? Alie-Cox, who joined the team in 2017, returned to the Colts last offseason on a one-year deal, and is doing the same in 2026. With Tyler Warren leading the tight end unit, Alie-Cox fell in order, much more adequately, on the positional depth chart. His blocking prowess, still at the age of 32, is why he’s returning, as the Colts will have the same main tight ends again this season (Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory).
WR-Laquon Treadwell (Age: 30): The Colts bring back a player they adore for his professionalism as a former first-round pick turned into a practice squad/special teamer. Now, the return of Treadwell in 2026 brings a question about the vacant role of Michael Pittman Jr. Given the fact that Treadwell hasn’t caught a pass in an NFL game since 2023 (and has 13 total catches across the last 4 seasons), I still don’t think he’s a true challenger for the opposite outside wideout to Alec Pierce. But that answer remains an unknown. Currently, you would bump Ashton Dulin into some of that role, but who else?
S-Juanyeh Thomas (Age: 25): Depending how the rest of the offseason shakes out, Thomas might have a chance to start for the Colts in 2026. Thomas started 3 games in Dallas last year before a season-ending injury due to recurring migraines. Thomas, 6-3 and 217 pounds, brings some impressive size to the safety position. Assuming Thomas is back and healthy, could he push for playing time with a departing Nick Cross?
S-Jonathan Owens (Age: 30): The first outside the building signing that isn’t a defensive linemen, Owens has mainly been a special teamer in his career. But he does have 35 career starts, yet played just 4 percent of the defensive snaps in Chicago last year. Owens walks into a Colts special teams room that has just 1 returning guy with more than 100 career defensive snaps (Cam Bynum). Owens is the husband of decorated Olympian Simone Biles.
TE-Drew Ogletree (Age: 27) The Colts staff has always had some intrigue with Ogletree, and they re-signed him on Friday afternoon. He played a consistent role, mostly in that TE3 spot behind Tyler Warren and Mo Alie-Cox.
DT-Derrick Nnadi (Age: 29): A space-eating defensive tackle at 6-1 and 317 pounds, Nandi (98 career starts) will likely be an occasionally used rotating nose tackle behind Grover Stewart. Don’t expect much production Nnadi in the playmaking department. He is simply with the Colts to eat up blocks and occupy space.
DL-Micheal Clemons (Age: 28): The Colts continued to add to the depth of their defensive line by signing veteran Micheal Clemons to a three-year deal. I view Clemons more in the Tyquan Lewis role. He has just 8.5 career sacks in his 4 NFL seasons.
QB-Daniel Jones (Age: 28): Unfortunately for Daniel Jones, that torn Achilles in early December cost him quite sme money. But the Colts still are bullish on his return in 2026, handing him a two-year contract worth up to $100 million. Without first-round picks in each of the next two years, the Colts really didn’t have any other choice in how to operate at quarterback.
DE-Arden Key (Age: 29): The Colts are likely to give a lot of attention to defensive end this year. And it started with Key, a journeyman pass rusher with some decent production as a rotational rusher. Expect Key to slot into a role occupied previously by departing defensive ends.
WR-Alec Pierce (Age: 25): What a contract year it was for Pierce, and he cashed it on big time with the Colts. The Colts had to retain him. Period. If the Colts are having a debate about a 2nd contract for Pierce or a 3rd contract for Michael Pittman Jr, ($29 million cap hit in 2026, the final year of his 2nd contract), there’s no debate for me. It’s Pierce.
K-Blake Grupe (Age: 27) As an exclusive rights free agent, a return of Grupe was always likely. Depending on the return of Spencer Shrader (coming off a torn ACL/MCL), Grupe might be the team’s kicker in ’26. Remember, Grupe was the Saints kicker for 3 seasons before being cut and joining the Colts late in the season. He was a great find, not missing a single kick in Indy.
Departures
C-Danny Pinter (Age: 29): A 5th round pick in 2020, Pinter has hung around in a depth role. The Ball State product is now joining the Ravens. The Colts needed Pinter to start one game last season for Tanor Bortolini (concussion). With this move, and bumping Jalen Travis into starting role, the Colts will need to find some new depth pieces along their offensive line.
LB-Segun Olubi (Age: 26): A core special teamer, Olubi is off to the Raiders. The Colts certainly have some work to do at the linebacker position, mainly in finding actual starters at that position. At 362 snaps, Olubi played the biggest special teams role for any Colts player last season. But he played just 6 total defensive snaps, despite Lou Anarumo trialing through a ton of different linebackers.
S-Rodney Thomas II (Age: 27): With Thomas II joining the Seahawks, that leaves Cam Bynum as currently the only Colts safety who has played more than 75 career defensive snaps in the NFL. The rookie contract ran out this past year on Thomas II. He used to be a starter for this team. He logged 150 defensive snaps in 17 games with Lou Anarumo. Depth at safety is a clear question as rookie Hunter Wohler returns from a foot injury.
DE-Samson Ebukam (Age: 30): The Colts had a lot relying on Ebukam in returning to full health/production after tearing his Achilles. Ebukam’s production was similar to Paye, with the veteran missing 3 games due to a knee injury. Ebukam is moving on to the 49ers as the Colts are retooling their defensive line depth.
S-Nick Cross (Age: 24): Cross was one of the toughest free agents to gauge. Since being a young 2022 draft pick, Cross was always thought to be a developmental guy. His arrow is pointing much more in the up direction after starting the last two years. But can the Colts really afford to pay two safeties notable money, with Cam Bynum signed last year? The answer to that was no, as the Commanders signed Cross, opening up another starting job on Lou Anarumo’s defense.
RT-Braden Smith (Age: 29): A neck injury ended Smith’s 8th season with the Colts in early December. While Smith has been a very quality draft pick/starter at right tackle, this had a “pass of the torch” feel to it entering the 2025 season. And that’s occurring with Smith signing a two-year deal with the Texans. Fourth-round pick Jalen Travis seemed to fill in adequately for Smith. I could see the Colts treating this like Ryan Kelly/Tanor Bortolini or Will Fries/Matt Goncalves from last year, passing the torch again to rely on Chris Ballard’s strong offensive line draft history.
DE-Kwity Paye (Age: 27): Despite playing all 17 games, Paye had a super underwhelming contract year, finishing with 4.0 sacks (88th in the NFL), 6 tackles for loss (123rd in the NFL) and 9 quarterback hits (94th in the NFL). Those are some ugly numbers, given he didn’t miss a game, and was making more than $13 million in a contract year as a former first-round pick. Thanks to being a better run defender, Paye did net $16 annually from the Raiders in free agency. This closes the book on a very rough 2021 draft class by the Colts: Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo, 3rd rounder for Carson Wentz, Kylen Granson, Shawn Davis, Sam Ehlinger, Mike Strachan, Will Fries.
WR-Michael Pittman Jr. (Age: 28): Given the Colts cap situation, it was likely an either/or situation with Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman Jr. And with that debate you go with the younger, slightly more expensive, yet possessing the harder to find trait in Pierce. MPJ was a tough cap casualty with this trade to the Steelers.
DT-Neville Gallimore (Age: 29):The Colts lost Gallimore in free agency on a 2-year deal with the Bears. Remember, the Colts added a defensive tackle in the Zaire Franklin trade, acquiring Colby Wooden (who is known more as a run stopper than pass rusher). In retooling some of their defensive tackle depth, the Colts added Gallimore in free agency from the Rams. He was a nice rotational body. The Colts will have a new defensive line coach in 2025, but a return of Lou Anarumo would probably be good news for a Gallimore return.
To Be Determined
DE-Tyquan Lewis (Age: 28): After back-to-back offseasons of 1-year re-signs, Lewis then inked a 2-year re-sign back in March 2024, with Gus Bradley still coordinating him. When healthy, Lewis is a nice depth piece rotating in. Anything more than that 8 years into his career is probably too much of an ask.
DT-Eric Johnson II (Age: 27): You don’t get too many cases like Johnson II—a former Colts draft pick, who goes to another team and then returns. But that’s what happened, with Johnson, as he played 131 defensive snaps in 12 games. If the Colts wanted to dress an extra big body on game day, Johnson would often be that guy.
LB-Germaine Pratt (Age: 29): With Lou Anarumo history, Pratt joined the Colts after spending the first month of the season with the Raiders. Pratt became the clear starter next to Zaire Franklin, after the Colts had several bodies playing there in September. Given the Anarumo history, is Pratt a strong return candidate? How much did the importance of re-signing Pratt occur after Zaire Franklin was traded?
