2026 Off-Season Thread

[ChoppedWood]

Originally Posted by Mr. Session

Pierce would be retarded to come back here, and we're retarded for not tagging him.

When does it fucking stop? These clowns do their best to ruin a glass half full attitude.

Took fucking years and years for this asshole to finally build a WR corps that can play, and what does he do- fucking sit on his hands so it most likely is dismantled just when it was proving to be very good.

I HATE this fucking dude, I mean HATE him. It is incomprehensible how shitty he is at his job.

[Oldcolt]

Been following this team for 62 years. Not sure I can keep rooting for a team that is so dysfunctional. For those of you who still support Ballard can you explain what he is doing? Honestly I have not seen or heard one person, not one, who is on board or understands WTF this organization is trying to do.

[Hoopsdoc]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

Been following this team for 62 years. Not sure I can keep rooting for a team that is so dysfunctional. For those of you who still support Ballard can you explain what he is doing? Honestly I have not seen or heard one person, not one, who is on board or understands WTF this organization is trying to do.

It’s obvious what they’re thinking, it’s just that they are wrong about Jones. He will never even lead this team to the playoffs.

[Hoopsdoc]

I will say that if Pierce ends up getting some insanely big contract from another team and leaves, the Colts will end up being better off in the long run, because I don’t think Pierce is a true number one receiver any more than Pittman is.

He’s a good player and a great deep threat but he’s not a true number one.

[sherck]

I mean, the plan is a clear as day if you choose to look at it that way.

Andrew Luck retires and our decades of superior QB play ends.

We then search 7 seasons with little to no success in finding someone who can deliver superior QB play (I am giving the year with Phillip Rivers as the little success in that above statement.)

Ballard tried...regardless of success, he tried everything he could think of to find someone who could deliver superior QB play to the Indianapolis Colts.

While trying to find that guy, we can debate all day long on how well he built the rest of the roster but as we all know, the rest of the roster matters much less than having that one guy that can deliver superior QB play.

And in 2025, for just over half the season going 8-2, we found a younger QB with lots of starting experience that again delivered superior QB play to the Indianapolis Colts to pair with a roster that showed it could compete.

Red flags? Sure! Injury and bad play with the Giants but for that half year, Daniel Jones did what no other QB had done in Ballard's time as the Colts GM...he delivered superior QB play.

And now the team wants to try and retain that. It is clear as day.

Honestly, I myself am over the Ballard experience in Indy after having defended him because I do not believe that DJ can sustain superior QB play in 2026 and beyond. I think they are betting on the wrong horse and it is going to bite them in the a$$.

But, to those who are going on about how he is THE WORST GM in the NFL or how the franchis has become a complete joke....please.....

Do some fricking research.....study the Raiders....or the Jets....or Miami....or about ten or so franchises who just can not put a quality team on the field. Get some prespective.

My son mentioned to me yesterday that this is the first time in his memory of following the Colts (which started in about 2013 or 2014) that the Colts are probably going to lose someone to free agency that he is really sorry to see go. Like, he is perhaps a future cornerstone of a team we are letting get away.

Perhaps you could argue Bethea signed away in 2014...
Perhaps Justin Houston in 2021...
Perhaps Glowinski in 2022...
Okereke in 2023?

None of our lost free agents have really been impact players for the team...and now Pierce.

That makes the worst GM and most disfunctional NFL franchise in the league? Please...

I do not like the choice. I think whatever team gives DJ a starter quality contract is going to be very disapointed in the end. I disagree with the selection of DJ over AP.

But that choice does not catapult the franchise into "worst run" area. Some on here are worst that teenaged girl K-Pop fans with their drama...and I have a couple of them who live in my house!

While I disaree with Hoopsdoc and believe that AP is a legit WR1 in the NFL, his loss to the franchise will not plummet us back into the dregs of NFL loser-hood.

The future play of Daniel Jones will do that...

P.S. - AND I REALLY HOPE THAT I HAVE TO EAT CROW ON THE ABOVE STATEMENT! i will support the Colts no matter what and I hope that I have to come back on this board in two years and say that I WAS WRONG about DJ. I want the Colts to have success no matter what.

We will see.

[albany ed]

I was never anti Ballard until this latest move. I agree, the sudden Luck departure left a huge hole in all his plans. He tried, but if weren't for a retired Luck, he had no Luck at all. (Blues despair and agony on me.).

I'm just really pissed at this latest move. I really don't believe there would be any team that would offer DJ a contract that exceeds the 37 million they are now on the hook to pay him. I honestly believe 15 million with some reachable incentives would have worked and then they could have franchised Pierce.

Like you, I hope I'm wrong about this, but I really don't think so. As for Pierce, he'll probably end up in New England where his success will continue to haunt Colts fans for years to come.

[Hoopsdoc]

Originally Posted by sherck

I mean, the plan is a clear as day if you choose to look at it that way.

Andrew Luck retires and our decades of superior QB play ends.

We then search 7 seasons with little to no success in finding someone who can deliver superior QB play (I am giving the year with Phillip Rivers as the little success in that above statement.)

Ballard tried...regardless of success, he tried everything he could think of to find someone who could deliver superior QB play to the Indianapolis Colts.

While trying to find that guy, we can debate all day long on how well he built the rest of the roster but as we all know, the rest of the roster matters much less than having that one guy that can deliver superior QB play.

And in 2025, for just over half the season going 8-2, we found a younger QB with lots of starting experience that again delivered superior QB play to the Indianapolis Colts to pair with a roster that showed it could compete.

Red flags? Sure! Injury and bad play with the Giants but for that half year, Daniel Jones did what no other QB had done in Ballard's time as the Colts GM...he delivered superior QB play.

And now the team wants to try and retain that. It is clear as day.

Honestly, I myself am over the Ballard experience in Indy after having defended him because I do not believe that DJ can sustain superior QB play in 2026 and beyond. I think they are betting on the wrong horse and it is going to bite them in the a$$.

But, to those who are going on about how he is THE WORST GM in the NFL or how the franchis has become a complete joke....please.....

Do some fricking research.....study the Raiders....or the Jets....or Miami....or about ten or so franchises who just can not put a quality team on the field. Get some prespective.

My son mentioned to me yesterday that this is the first time in his memory of following the Colts (which started in about 2013 or 2014) that the Colts are probably going to lose someone to free agency that he is really sorry to see go. Like, he is perhaps a future cornerstone of a team we are letting get away.

Perhaps you could argue Bethea signed away in 2014...
Perhaps Justin Houston in 2021...
Perhaps Glowinski in 2022...
Okereke in 2023?

None of our lost free agents have really been impact players for the team...and now Pierce.

That makes the worst GM and most disfunctional NFL franchise in the league? Please...

I do not like the choice. I think whatever team gives DJ a starter quality contract is going to be very disapointed in the end. I disagree with the selection of DJ over AP.

But that choice does not catapult the franchise into "worst run" area. Some on here are worst that teenaged girl K-Pop fans with their drama...and I have a couple of them who live in my house!

While I disaree with Hoopsdoc and believe that AP is a legit WR1 in the NFL, his loss to the franchise will not plummet us back into the dregs of NFL loser-hood.

The future play of Daniel Jones will do that...

P.S. - AND I REALLY HOPE THAT I HAVE TO EAT CROW ON THE ABOVE STATEMENT! i will support the Colts no matter what and I hope that I have to come back on this board in two years and say that I WAS WRONG about DJ. I want the Colts to have success no matter what.

We will see.

I agree with everything you said here with the exception of Pierce being a true number one receiver.

True number ones are guys like Smith-Njigba, AJ Brown, J’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson. Pierce is nowhere near that level and, in my opinion, never will be. He’s not athletic enough. He’s a really good receiver but he’s not one of those guys.

What I’m saying is, if he ends getting paid like one of those guys, then the Colts will have dodged a bullet if he leaves because he’s never going to live up to that contract.

Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am.

[Hoopsdoc]

Originally Posted by albany ed

I was never anti Ballard until this latest move. I agree, the sudden Luck departure left a huge hole in all his plans. He tried, but if weren't for a retired Luck, he had no Luck at all. (Blues despair and agony on me.).

I'm just really pissed at this latest move. I really don't believe there would be any team that would offer DJ a contract that exceeds the 37 million they are now on the hook to pay him. I honestly believe 15 million with some reachable incentives would have worked and then they could have franchised Pierce.

Like you, I hope I'm wrong about this, but I really don't think so. As for Pierce, he'll probably end up in New England where his success will continue to haunt Colts fans for years to come.

Ughh, New England would be a perfect spot for him. Damnit. Now he’s going to end up there.

[Puck]

Destin Adams
@TheDestinAdams
·
Mar 4
To be honest, though, Jones knows the Colts can't have him actually play on the transition tag

There's no cap flexibility there, and they need it

They need him to sign an actual contract

So I'd say this still gives him more leverage than the Colts

[Puck]

Originally Posted by albany ed

I was never anti Ballard until this latest move. I agree, the sudden Luck departure left a huge hole in all his plans. He tried, but if weren't for a retired Luck, he had no Luck at all. (Blues despair and agony on me.).

I'm just really pissed at this latest move. I really don't believe there would be any team that would offer DJ a contract that exceeds the 37 million they are now on the hook to pay him. I honestly believe 15 million with some reachable incentives would have worked and then they could have franchised Pierce.

Like you, I hope I'm wrong about this, but I really don't think so. As for Pierce, he'll probably end up in New England where his success will continue to haunt Colts fans for years to come.

Maybe wait until we see happens before turning on this move? If we keep DJ. his contract will be different than the 37m if he wants more than a 1 yr deal.

They have until next Tuesday to get a deal done with AP. I am guessing they are working on other contracts right now to free up some cap space

Patience