The Indianapolis Colts are sitting at 2-4 after an ugly home loss to the Tennessee Titans, and the result has already sparked real change. The one clear positive, at least from the outside looking in, is that it ended Chris Ballard’s run as general manager.
Normally, a team in that spot starts tearing things down. The Colts, though, may not be headed for a fire sale just yet.
Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon has already greenlit aggressive moves, and she wants the team competing at a much higher level. With $20.2 million in cap space - eighth-most in the league - Indianapolis still has room to make a few short-term additions that could help salvage the season.
One option is Tuli Tuipulotu. The Los Angeles Chargers are 0-6, and Tuipulotu is in the final year of his rookie contract.
Since there’s no fifth-year option, the Chargers would need to franchise-tag him if they want to keep him without an extension. He could also fit what the Colts need at a reasonable price.
He’s owed about $3 million for the rest of the year, and a fourth-round pick might be enough to get him. Tuipulotu also comes with real production, after piling up 13.0 sacks last season.
Another name that makes sense is Jauan Jennings. He put together a strong couple of seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, but he has slipped down the depth chart in the Minnesota Vikings’ crowded receiver room.
Jennings is on a one-year deal with a $1.6 million base salary, and he could likely be acquired for a seventh-round pick. He may not be the flashiest receiver available, but he is the kind of big-bodied chain-mover the Colts could use.
Josh Downs has not become the possession target the team needed, and the Keenan Allen experiment has fallen flat. Jennings has 15 touchdown catches over the last two seasons.
A.J. Epenesa is another possible fit.
With Arden Key out, Laiatu Latu not making much progress, and Jaylahn Tuimoloau looking like a bust, the Colts have reasons to chase a proven veteran. Epenesa carries a base salary of just $1.2 million, and the Philadelphia Eagles may be heading toward a punt on the season anyway.
He would give Indianapolis a plug-and-play option who can help even without starting. He has barely seen the field for Vic Fangio’s defense this season, and a seventh-round pick might be enough to land him.
It is still fair to wonder whether the Colts would want to part with draft capital when they do not even have a new general manager in place. In a normal situation, the team would be looking to add a first-rounder to its eight draft picks in 2027. But if Indianapolis wants to keep fighting, these are the kinds of low-cost moves that could nudge the season back in the right direction.
In Other News...
Jonathan Taylor Is Back In A Colts Debate Fans Dread
Jonathan Taylor is back in the middle of one of those Colts conversations nobody in Indianapolis really wants to have. Trade chatter has linked the veteran running back to both the Giants and Vikings, and the timing of it all only sharpened after the Colts moved on from general manager Chris Ballard. For now, the organization has not acted like a team preparing to deal away one of its most recognizable players, but the speculation has been loud enough to put the topic right back on the table.
The Colts still have not opened the door to actual trade discussions, and that matters as the deadline picture takes shape. Even so, the sense around the league is that the possibility is not completely off the board if the season goes sideways and the losses start to stack up. Until then, Taylor remains where he is, with Indianapolis weighing the kind of move that would say plenty about where the franchise thinks it is headed next. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Head To Minnesota With Problems They Cant Keep Ignoring
The Colts head to Minnesota in Week 7 with a familiar kind of unease hanging over them, and not just because the Vikings present a difficult road test. Indianapolis is trying to steady itself after a home loss to a winless opponent, all while dealing with a front-office shakeup that included firing its general manager. It is the kind of week that forces a team to look inward as much as it looks at the opponent, especially when the conversation keeps coming back to whether the offense and defense can clean up enough issues to survive on the road.
Minnesota offers very little margin for error. The Colts will have to sort out protection problems, find more consistency from Daniel Jones, and deal with a defense that can create pressure in waves while also having to account for Justin Jefferson on the back end. Jalen Travis is part of that puzzle, and the matchup on his side could be one of the more revealing spots in the game for Indianapolis. If the Colts cannot hold up there, the rest of the plan gets a lot harder very quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Slide Is Putting Shane Steichen In A Tougher AFC South Fight
The AFC South picture has tightened around Indianapolis, and not in a way the Colts can welcome. Both the Colts and Texans sit at 2-4 in the division, but Houstons recent surge has changed the tone of the race, while Shane Steichens team is trying to steady itself after back-to-back losses. What looked like a manageable early gap is now a reminder that the Colts cannot afford many more missteps if they want to stay in control of their own path.
The schedule may only make things trickier from here. Houston appears to have a cleaner runway in the coming weeks, which could give the Texans a chance to move ahead before the Colts see them again, and that puts even more pressure on Indianapolis to answer quickly. For Steichen, the challenge is no longer just getting the Colts back on track, but keeping the AFC South from slipping farther out of reach. [Read more 🡒]