The 53 players who will eventually make up the Indianapolis Colts 2026 opening day roster are mostly already with the club. But general manager Chris Ballard will keep tinkering throughout the offseason.
For instance, last year, he didn’t acquire cornerback Xavien Howard until mid-August, after several other defensive backs had gone down with injury. Howard played a lot in the first month of the season before deciding to call it quits.
Other depth pieces like Chris Lammons, Chad Muma, and Ameer Abdullah were late additions to the roster. That may happen again this year. There are still a few fairly big names floating around in free agency, and there may be more after June 1. Still, by and large, after the early waves of free agency and the draft, Ballard has most of his players.
The Indianapolis Colts have plenty of available roster spots for new players in 2026
The question now becomes which ones will make the club. The Colts have some of the very best talent in the entire NFL. Jonathan Taylor, Quenton Nelson, DeForest Buckner, Sauce Gardner -- all have been first-team All-Pros.
But the current Colts roster is not well-balanced. It has holes. Finding pieces that can step up in those positions of need will be crucial if Shane Steichen’s men are going to rebound from a very disappointing collapse late in 2025.
So, who will be filling out the roster? With the knowledge that we are only at the very beginning of a summer-long project, let's make some early guesses.
Offense
Quarterbacks (2): Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard
Assuming Daniel Jones does not suffer a setback in his recovery from a torn Achilles, Indianapolis will only carry two quarterbacks on its final roster.
Anthony Richardson seems to be in limbo, but I still believe he will be traded or released before the start of the season, and a developmental prospect – perhaps Seth Hanigan – will be stashed on the practice squad. If Jones is, in fact, delayed, then all bets are off, and Richardson might yet see new life with the team that drafted him.
Running backs (3): Jonathan Taylor, Seth McGowan, JD Giddens
McGowan will be the newest runner to try to provide quality relief for the overworked Taylor. The team is saying all the right things about Giddens, but he was so ineffectual as a rookie that I question how serious they are. However, I see no one currently on the roster or in the undrafted free agent camp who is likely to challenge him.
Wide receivers (6): Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, Nick Westbrokk-Ikhine, Deion Burks, Ashton Dulin, Anthony Gould
Pierce becomes the new WR1, and the rookie Burks looks to make plays both out of the slot and on the outside. Downs is a steady slot presence. Westbrook-Ikhine has the size to step into Michael Pittman’s shoes, though he has never really provided great production in the past.
Note: I don’t think there is a great chance of Ballard signing one of the remaining veteran receivers, but it is possible. Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings would both be excellent complements to Pierce and would certainly displace one of the above players.
Tight ends (4): Tyler Warren, Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, and Will Mallory
Warren is a budding superstar. Alie-Cox and Ogletree were both re-signed early this offseason, suggesting they still figure into the team’s plans. Mallory is an intriguing developmental flex option. It is highly unlikely he makes the roster, but it should be fun to watch converted basketball player Carson Towt try to make the same transition Alie-Cox did when he joined the club.
Offensive line (9): Tanor Bortolini, Quenton Nelson, Matt Goncalves, Bernhard Raimann, Jalen Travis, Jimmy Morrissey, Blake Freeland, Dalton Tucker, Jalen Farmer
The starters are set, with Travis moving into the right tackle spot played by Braden Smith for most of the past decade. Morrissey replaces Danny Pinter as backup center, and Blake Freeland returns from injury to be the primary swing tackle.
Rookie Jalen Farmer should secure a role as the first backup interior lineman, which may leave veterans Luke Tenuta and Dalton Tucker fighting it out for a final spot. I’m giving the nod to Tucker, who is a bit more versatile.
Defense
Defensive ends (5): Laiatu Latu, Arden Key, JT Tuimoloau, Michael Clemons, Caden Curry
Finding a counterpart for Latu is vital. Kwity Paye and Samson Ekuban are gone, and Tyquan Lewis doesn’t seem to be in Ballard’s plans. Veteran free agents Key and Clemons should see a lot of snaps, but the team really needs second-year player Tuimoloau to take a big step forward after a disappointing rookie season.
Curry was chosen a round after fellow edge George Gumbs in this year’s draft, but I suspect he might be more ready to play on day one than Gumbs.
Defensive tackles (5): DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, Colby Wooden, Adetomiwa Adebawore, Cameron Ball
Buckner and Stewart both return to anchor the middle of the defense. That was far from given when the season ended, and the Colts desperately need to get younger at the position.
I think they will give every opportunity to younger players like Wooden and Adebawore to earn spots over some older veterans signed as free agents this offseason. And I think long-shot UDFA Ball has an excellent shot for the same reason.
Linebackers: (5): CJ Allen, Bryce Boettcher, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Jaylon Carlies, West Weeks
A completely rebuilt unit with only Carlies projected to return. Boettcher and Davis-Gaither may end up sharing snaps while Allen never leaves the field. Behind them, Carlies can serve as a coverage specialist and special teams player, and another UDFA, Weeks, will challenge veteran Austin Ajiake for a role as a special teams ace.
Cornerback (7): Sauce Gardner, Charvarius Ward, Justin Walley, Cam Taylor-Britt, Mekhi Blackmon, Jaylon Jones, Johnathan Edwards
Keeping seven corners may seem like overkill, but given last year’s nightmare and Ward’s iffy situation, I think the Colts may err on the side of caution this year. If healthy, Gardner and Ward should be excellent perimeter corners while Walley and Taylor-Britt battle to see who inherits Kenny Moore’s slot role.
Both will be on the roster, and the versatile Blackmon should be as well. Jones and Edwards get the nod as the final backups because they have a little more length than some of their competitors.
Safeties (4): Cam Bynum, A. J. Haulcey, Hunter Wohler, Juanyeh Thomas
Haulcey immediately steps into Nick Cross’ box safety role while Wohlers and Thomas provide solid depth.
Specialists (3): Blake Grupe, Rigoberto Sanchez, Luke Rhodes
There actually is a battle for the kicker spot. Indy currently has two under contract. Grupe has a bigger leg than Spencer Shrader, but Shrader looked very good before his injury last season, so he definitely has a chance. Whichever one loses out, he will almost certainly get a chance with another club.