The Colts enter Week 1 of the 2026 regular season in a pretty healthy spot financially, and that gives Chris Ballard some room to maneuver if he wants to make a move.
According to Over the Cap, Indianapolis is sitting on $19.026 million in available salary cap space, which ranks eighth in the NFL. That’s a strong position for this time of year, and it’s been a theme all offseason for the Colts, who have consistently been among the better-cap teams in the league.
One of the biggest reasons for that flexibility was moving on from Michael Pittman, a move that opened up $24 million in cap space for the 2026 season. That kind of relief is a big part of why the Colts can still look around and consider roster upgrades without putting themselves in a tight spot.
Still, there’s a limit to how splashy things can get in September. Free agents available now aren’t going to command huge deals, and it’s fair to wonder how far Ballard would go on the trade market anyway, especially with the Colts already down their 2027 first-round pick after the Sauce Gardner deal last season.
Some of that cap room has already been spoken for. Indianapolis has used a portion of its available space to build out the practice squad, and that matters during the season because the team also has to account for the extra cap hits that come with weekly practice-squad elevations.
For now, the Colts are in solid shape. And if they don’t use every dollar in 2026, whatever’s left can be rolled over into the 2027 offseason.
The five biggest salary cap hits on the Colts’ 2026 books are:
- DT DeForest Buckner: $26.6M
- G Quenton Nelson: $24.2M
- CB Charvarius Ward: $19.8M
- QB Daniel Jones: $19.18M
- RB Jonathan Taylor: $16.18M
In Other News...
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That kind of finish made the competition with Blake Grupe hard to ignore, especially with Grupe connecting on two of four attempts. The Colts ultimately named Shrader their kicker for the 2026 season, a comeback few outside the building likely saw coming when the offseason began, and now the real question is whether that preseason confidence carries over once the games count for good. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Ballard Just Sent A Loud Message About Daniel Jones
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Colts Fans Finally Have A Real Test For Lou Anarumo
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That makes Indianapolis a fascinating place for him now, because this defense is being judged less on pedigree than on what it actually does on Sundays. Anarumo has spent eight seasons as a coordinator with multiple teams, and his units have generally finished in the lower half of the league in points and yards allowed, but the Colts are betting the collection of talent around him can change that in a hurry with players like Sauce Gardner and DeForest Buckner in place for 2026. [Read more 🡒]