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Colts Sign Fourth-Rounders Jalen Farmer, Bryce Boettcher; Draft Class Under Wraps

By | at June 2, 2026 1:43 pm

The Colts signed their two fourth-round picks, guard Jalen Farmer and linebacker Bryce Boettcher, to their four-year rookie deals on Tuesday. General manager Chris Ballard now has all eight members of the team’s 2026 draft class under contract.

Farmer, the 113th overall selection, began his college career at Florida in 2022 but transferred to Kentucky two years later. After seeing little playing time with the Gators, the 6-foot-5, 318-pounder became a two-year starter at right guard as a member of the Wildcats. Farmer possesses bulldozing skills as a run blocker and could eventually turn into an NFL starter, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic.

If he is going to emerge as an immediate starter in the pros, Farmer will have to beat out Matt Goncalves. As a third-round rookie in 2024, all of Goncalves’ snaps came at the tackle spots during a 17-game, eight-start season. It was a different story last year, as he lined up at right guard in 15 of his 16 starts. Pro Football Focus ranked Goncalves’ performance a solid 31st among 79 qualified guards. He could conceivably shift back to right tackle, where the Colts lost longtime starter Braden Smith to the Texans in free agency. Jalen Travis, a fourth-rounder in 2025, is the current favorite to take over for Smith.

The Colts were without a first-rounder thanks to last November’s Sauce Gardner blockbuster, leaving No. 54 overall as their top choice. They used that pick on former Georgia linebacker C.J. Allen, but that didn’t stop them from adding another LB, Boettcher, at No. 135.

The athletic Boettcher could have played professional baseball as an outfielder with the Houston Astros, who drafted him in the 13th round in 2024, but decided to stick with football. The former defensive back will enter the NFL off a pair of second-team All-Big Ten years at Oregon, where he was particularly effective last season. Over 15 games, Boettcher tallied a conference-high 136 tackles (5.5 for loss), two forced fumbles, a sack and an interception en route to first-team All-America honors.

Zaire Franklin and Germaine Pratt, the Colts’ starting linebackers last season, are no longer on the roster. While Allen and free agent addition Akeem Davis-Gaither are the front-runners to replace them, Boettcher could at least contribute in a depth/special teams role in 2026.

Now that they have all of their picks under wraps, here is a look at the Colts’ group of rookies:

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Colts Sign QB Easton Stick

By | at June 1, 2026 9:06 pm

The Colts swapped quarterbacks today. The team announced that they’ve added free agent QB Easton Stick. In a corresponding move, the Colts waived QB Seth Henigan.

Stick is coming off a 2025 campaign with the Falcons. He spent most of the year on the active roster but didn’t get into a game. Before that, the 2019 fifth-round pick spent six years with the Chargers organization, where he eventually worked his way up to the role of Justin Herbert‘s primary backup.

He got an extended look in 2023. Stick completed 63.8 percent of his passes that season, throwing for 1,129 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. The Chargers were winless in his four starts.

Stick will now be joining an unsettled depth chart in Indy. Daniel Jones continues to work his way back from an Achilles injury, although there’s optimism that he’ll be ready to go for Week 1. Meanwhile, the Colts were unsuccessful in their attempt to trade Anthony Richardson, and it’s uncertain how the former fourth-overall pick will factor into the team’s 2026 plans. Stick could be called upon depending Jones’ and Richardson’s roster status. At the very least, the newest addition will compete for backup reps with 2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard.

Henigan, a 2025 UDFA out of Memphis, had a stint on the Jaguars practice squad before catching on with the Colts in late December. The organization retained him this offseason via a reserve/futures contract.

The Colts made a handful of additional moves today, including the signings of center Josh Kreutz and cornerback Jai’Onte’ McMillan. To make room on the roster, the Colts waived guard LaDarius Henderson and cornerback Wyett Ekeler.

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Raymond Berry Passes Away At 93

By | at June 1, 2026 5:39 pm

Hall of Fame player and coach Raymond Berry passed away two weekends ago at the age of 93, according to a statement from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The wide receiver (or “split end”) entered the NFL with little fanfare when he was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 20th round of the 1954 draft. He overcame the odds to make the team’s roster as a rookie, when he was limited to only 13 catches. However, he quickly emerged as a preferred target of Johnny Unitas over the following 12 years.

Berry earned four-straight All-Pro nods between 1957 and 1960, a stretch in which he averaged 60 catches for 963 yards and 10 touchdowns per season. He finished fifth in MVP voting in 1959 after hauling in a league-leading 14 touchdowns, and he followed that up with a 1960 campaign where he established career-highs in receptions (74) and receiving yards (1,298).

He won championships with the Colts in both 1958 and 1959, and his participation in the “The Greatest Game Ever Played” in that 1958 championship contest established his spot in NFL lore. Berry hauled in 12 catches for 178 yards and a score in that game.

Berry ended up playing his entire 13-year career in Baltimore, finishing with 631 catches for 9,275 yards and 68 touchdowns. When he retired at the end of the 1967 season, he was the NFL’s all-time leader in both receptions and receiving yards.

Following his playing career, Berry entered the coaching ranks. He had stints as the WRs coach with the Cowboys, Lions, Browns, and Patriots, plus a three-year stretch coaching wideouts at Arkansas. He got his only head coaching gig with the Patriots in 1984, and he helped guide the organization to their first Super Bowl appearance during his first full season at the helm in 1985. He finished his head coaching career with a record of 48-39. He coached quarterbacks with the Lions (1991) and Broncos (1992) before calling it a career.

Berry was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973, and he was later a member of the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. His number 82 was retired by the Colts, and he was named a member of the Patriots 1980s All-Decade Team.

“People said Raymond Berry was not blessed with the size or speed of other receivers in the National Football League, but no one worked harder to refine his skills and master his craft. The chemistry he developed with quarterback Johnny Unitas through hours of route-running thousands of repetitions in practice created a dynamic tandem that thought with one mind on game days,” said Jim Porter, the Hall of Fame’s president and CEO. “Together they helped the Colts win consecutive titles in the late 1950s, including the classic 1958 NFL Championship Game that served as a springboard for professional football becoming this country’s most popular sport.

“On top of that, there was no finer gentleman – a person who remained humble and grounded when others sought to thrust stardom upon him.”

We at PFR extend our condolences to Berry’s family and friends.

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NCAA Will Not Negotiate Settlement To Reinstate Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby

By | at May 27, 2026 11:29 pm

Brendan Sorsby‘s college football career appears to be on life support.

The NCAA denied the 22-year-old’s request for reinstatement on Tuesday with Texas Tech already working on an appeal to keep their coveted quarterback. Sorsby has a separate injunction hearing scheduled for Monday (with his personal attorneys) that would allow him to play as his legal case progresses.

The injunction seems to be his last chance at playing for the Red Raiders this year, as the NCAA has “already informed Sorsby’s legal team that it will not negotiate a settlement to get Sorsby back on the field,” per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

Such a settlement would have involved accepting a suspension for his infractions while remaining eligible to play later in the year. It was seen as the quickest path for his return to the field, but the NCAA will instead force him to prove his case in court.

Winning the injunction seems like a long shot, too. All Sorsby has to do is prove he has a chance of winning the case, but his admission of sports gambling and entrance into a treatment program is near-incontrovertible evidence against him.

As a result, it increasingly seems that the NFL’s supplemental draft will be Sorsby’s eventual next step. He could still face discipline from the league, perhaps also accepting a suspension similar to the Terrelle Pryor case as a condition of entering the draft. He would have time in July to work out in front of NFL teams, likely in a pro day-style setting with private workouts with interested teams.

Breer mentions the Colts and Steelers as two clubs who could take a look at Sorsby should he be available in July. Indianapolis signed Daniel Jones to a two-year deal, but he will have to prove he can resume his stellar play from 2025 post-injury. But his overall career suggests he may not be a long-term franchise quarterback, so the Colts could consider throwing a mid-round pick at Sorsby to prepare themselves from 2027 and beyond.

Pittsburgh has had no issue using Day 2 selections on quarterbacks in each of the last two drafts. Perhaps they would be willing to do so again, but that would create a developmental logjam with Will Howard and Drew Allar already taking second-team reps behind Aaron Rodgers.

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Colts QB Daniel Jones On Track For Week 1 Start?

By | at May 27, 2026 9:31 pm

As the Colts return to the field for Organized Team Activities, so, too, does quarterback Daniel Jones, just five months removed from his season-ending Achilles tendon tear. Though Jones was held out of 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills as practices advanced, the Indianapolis Star’s Joel A. Erickson noted that he was “doing everything in individual drills today” and “running full sprints with trainers after practice.”

After Jones’ promising 8-2 start to his tenure as the starter in Indianapolis came to an end following three straight losses and the season-ending injury, all eyes appeared to be on the future. The Colts expressed immediate expectations that Jones would be able to recover in time for training camp, and both sides began the process of working on a new contract that would keep him in Indy moving forward. The Colts opted to play it safe, securing Jones’ services via the application of the transition tag, but just eight days later Jones agreed to a two-year, $88MM extension.

A big part of the process that led to Jones’ multiyear deal was a constant evaluation of his progress returning from injury as he reliably hit key rehabilitation milestones before signing the deal. The most recent projections coming out of the building in Indianapolis paint the team as hopeful Jones will be ready to start in time for Week 1. Ask Jones about his potential status to start the season, though, and hope is not a word that will be mentioned.

“Absolutely,” Jones responded when asked if he expects to start Week 1 (via James Boyd of The Athletic). “There’s definitely still work to be done and progress to be made. So, I think it’s just continuing to get stronger, continuing to, you know, run faster, cut harder, and progress, kind of, according to the program, but it’s been good. I think we’ve hit all our marks so far, and we’ll continue to do that.”

There are still plenty of benchmarks and milestones to hit, but those are simply boxes to be checked in they eyes of Jones, who hasn’t even considered not being ready to open the 2026 campaign. As he continues to progress physically, the Colts will hope to see Jones’ explosiveness and confidence return in time to face the Ravens in Baltimore Week 1.

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Cowboys Move WR Parris Campbell To Reserve/Retired List

By | at May 27, 2026 3:23 pm

Parris Campbell agreed to terms on a reserve/futures deal to stay in Dallas in January. Four-plus months later, the former second-round pick looks to be leaving the sport.

The Cowboys moved Campbell to the reserve/retired list Wednesday, The Athletic’s Jon Machota tweets. The former Colts draftee spent the past three seasons in the NFC East — 2023 with the Giants, 2024 with the Eagles and 2025 with the Cowboys — but had been unable to make an impact. The Ohio State product will walk away after seven NFL seasons.

Signing a rookie deal worth just more than $4.7MM, Campbell nearly matched that with a one-year Giants contract in 2023. But a steady role eluded him in New York. The former Indianapolis slot receiver was on Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LIX-winning roster, playing in three Eagles playoff games (including the Super Bowl rout of the Chiefs), but was attached to veteran-minimum deals (or close to it) over his last two seasons.

Although Campbell did not catch a pass in Super Bowl LIX, he saw action on 16 offensive plays. The Eagles did not re-sign him following that conquest, and he made his way to Dallas soon after. The Cowboys signed Campbell to a one-year, $1.34MM deal in March 2025 but released him from IR with an injury settlement in August. Campbell, however, returned to the team in September and played one final game.

Campbell’s career will be best remember for a four-year Indianapolis stay. The Colts added him with the No. 59 overall pick in 2019, but injuries interrupted attempts to become a complementary piece around T.Y. Hilton (and then Michael Pittman Jr.). A knee injury preceded Campbell breaking his hand and foot as a rookie. A PCL injury then occurred in September 2020, ending Campbell’s second season. Campbell underwent foot surgery in October 2021; over his first three seasons, the slot player missed 34 games.

The 2022 season proved pivotal for Campbell. He returned to action and did not miss a game. While the Colts flatlined during their Matt Ryan–Jeff Saturday season, Campbell finished with 63 catches for 623 yards and three touchdowns. Those contributions prompted a one-year, $4.7MM Giants offer. The 6-foot pass catcher did not pan out in New York, ending his lone Giants season as a healthy scratch, that season provided a notable bump in career earnings.

The Akron, Ohio, native totaled 1,063 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior with the Buckeyes, outpacing teammate Terry McLaurin that season. Campbell, 28, will retire with 123 NFL receptions for 1,117 yards and six scores. He earned just more than $10MM in seven seasons.

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AFC Staff Updates: Merritt, Watts, Browns, Colts

By | at May 22, 2026 10:02 pm

A month ago, Chiefs cornerbacks coach David Merritt was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Merritt’s case was dismissed by the District Court of Johnson County.

At the time of Merritt’s arrest on the Kansas side of the border, no details accompanied the news to explain his arrest and charging, but the former NFL linebacker pleaded not guilty once given the opportunity in court as the Chiefs chose not to comment on the situation. Merritt’s attorney, Ryan Ginie, informed Garafolo that the District Attorney’s office “looked at (the case) a little more thoroughly and reviewed some additional information” before they “agreed it was a matter that should be dismissed.”

Following the case’s dismissal, the Chiefs are set to continue the offseason with their assistant coach of the past seven years. Merritt has helped coach a secondary unit on a defense that has routinely finished in the top half of the league in pass defense.

Here are a few other staff updates from around the AFC:

  • After leaving Pittsburgh in March, veteran scout Chris Watts reportedly turned to the collegiate ranks of the game, joining the University of Texas “in a player personnel capacity,” per Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Watts is coming off a four-year stay with the Steelers following a 15-year stint in the Giants’ front office. Watts scouted the Longhorns in his coverage of the south area for the Steelers, and he also has some experience working for the Senior Bowl.
  • The Browns have added a veteran presence to their front office, hiring Mike Derice as their new mid-Atlantic area scout, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedInFootball.com. Derice wasn’t with a team in 2025, but before his short sabbatical, he had gathered a combined 13 years of experience working with the Giants and Colts. He returns to work following a surprising parting of ways with New York a year ago.
  • The Colts made a minor addition to their data/analytics group earlier this month. Per ESPN’s Seth Walder, Sam Swift was hired as a football data analyst in Indianapolis. Swift will be working his first full-time NFL position after interning with the Bills last year and working as a recruiting assistant as he finished school at the University of Iowa.
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Minor NFL Transactions: 5/18/26

By | at May 18, 2026 9:52 pm

NFL teams are getting their rosters set for voluntary Organized Team Activities that will take place over the next month. Here are the latest minor moves from around the league:

Carolina Panthers

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: RB Anderson Castle
  • Waived: RB Jordon Vaughn

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Placed on reserve/retired: WR Alex Bullock

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: DB Tamon Lynum

Davis tried out at the Seahawks’ rookie minicamp but did not make the team. His workout in Carolina was more successful, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson, and he will take Johnson’s place on the Panthers’ roster.

Jones was a first-team All-Big Sky selection for his standout 2023 season at Eastern Washington, which featured three pick-sixes. He transferred to Vanderbilt in 2024 but missed the season after being diagnosed with cancer. After recovering, Jones appeared in nine games for the Commodores in 2025, and he will now continue his remarkable story in Green Bay.

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Colts Could Keep Anthony Richardson?

By | at May 17, 2026 3:20 pm

MAY 17: Dodds noted (via Chappell) a meeting to “essentially clear the air” took place between Richardson and the team once it became obvious a trade would not be forthcoming. Richardson’s attention will now turn to his showings in spring practices over the near future while remaining on course for free agency next spring.

MAY 12: Anthony Richardson and the Colts have seemed destined for a split for almost a year. The first writing appeared on the wall when the team signed Daniel Jones to compete for the starting quarterback job; by midseason, it was covered.

Jones won the training camp competition and led Indianapolis to a 7-1 start, seemingly establishing himself as the Colts’ next franchise quarterback. Richardson, meanwhile, had been sidelined by a freak orbital fracture and was even the subject of some trade deadline chatter that another team could see him as a reclamation project. He requested a trade this offseason, and the club worked to oblige him, but “nothing materialized,” assistant general manager Ed Dodds said this week (via Mike Chappell of FOX59).

Richardson still has just 28 starts and 743 passing attempts in his college and pro careers, presenting the concerns about both inexperience and durability. Dodds reiterated that 24-year-old is “good to go,” but uncertainty about his eye injury was a factor in his lack of trade interest, per ESPN’s Stephen Holder. He is also owed $5.4MM in guaranteed compensation this year, and another team may not want to pick up that tab for a developmental project.

The Colts are not considering a release, Holder adds. They would still owe Richardson that money, and especially with Jones recovering from last year’s Achilles tear, it makes little sense for them to move on from their former No. 3 pick without any financial relief or trade compensation.

“He’s back in the fold right now,” head coach Shane Steichen said at Phase 2 of the team’s offseason program (via Chappell).

Wthout significant interest from other teams, Richardson may now be best served by staying in Indianapolis, where he can compete with Riley Leonard for the backup quarterback gig. Until Jones is back on the field, that job comes with first-team reps, though Steichen declined to elucidate any sense of a pecking order.

There are indications that the team is not completely out on Richardson’s talent and ability to contribute to the team. He had his best training camp in 2025, according to Holder, and though his eye injury kept him from returning to in-game action, he impressed as the scout team QB late in the season. In fact, Holder adds, Richardson would have taken over as the Colts’ starter had he been healthy when Jones went down.

Jones has a lengthy injury history of his own, too. Any setback in his current recovery could thrust Richardson back into a starting role this year. Theoretically, the Colts could get out of their contract with Jones next offseason, though that would require a remarkable turnaround from Richardson. More likely, he will be looking to contribute in any way possible this year to boost his stock before hitting free agency in 2027.

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Each NFL Franchise’s Richest RB Contract

By | at May 14, 2026 10:57 pm

Running back value has become a divisive topic in the modern NFL, and teams’ histories with these investments reveal a large gap in their respective approaches to RB contracts. Following our installments covering the highest-paid quarterback, wide receiver and off-ball linebacker in each team’s history, here are the most lucrative deals — ranked by guaranteed money — for running backs in each franchise’s history (the list excludes rookie contracts).

Unlike the QB and WR markets, some teams’ top RB deals occurred decades ago. This list covers contracts agreed to across four different decades.

Arizona Cardinals

Jeremiyah Love‘s rookie contract brings the highest guarantee ($53MM) in RB history, but for veteran accords, Conner’s second Arizona pact is the organizational standard

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

LeSean McCoy‘s March 2015 extension included more guaranteed at signing ($18.25MM), but Cook’s brought a rolling guarantee structure that eclipsed that package in total

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Matt Forte; July 16, 2012: Four years, $30.4MM ($17.1MM guaranteed)

D’Andre Swift‘s 2024 agreement included more guaranteed at signing ($14MM), but Forte’s guarantee package remains the Chicago standard

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Corey Dillon; May 11, 2001: Five years, $26MM ($10.5MM guaranteed)

The Bengals more than doubled Dillon’s AAV number in 2020 for Joe Mixon (four years, $48MM) but only guaranteed $10MM of that pact

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

  • Barry Sanders; July 21, 1997: Six years, $33.5MM ($11.5MM guaranteed)

David Montgomery‘s two Lions deals topped the Hall of Famer in AAV, but neither surpassed $11MM guaranteed; Jahmyr Gibbs is tied to the highest RB guarantee in franchise history ($17.85MM) but got there via a rookie deal 

Green Bay Packers

Josh Jacobs‘ 2024 pact edges Jones in AAV but fell short of his predecessor’s deal in guarantees

Houston Texans

  • Arian Foster; March 5, 2012: Five years, $43.5MM ($20.75MM guaranteed)

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Leonard Fournette received a $27.15MM guarantee — still in the top 10 in RB history — but it came on a rookie contract

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders sweetened Jacobs’ franchise tag agreement; Ashton Jeanty‘s 2025 rookie slot deal included $35.9MM guaranteed

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

  • Adrian Peterson; September 10, 2011: Six years, $86.28MM ($36MM guaranteed)

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Barkley’s rookie slot deal included $31.19MM guaranteed — fourth all time among all RB contracts — while Devin Singletary‘s $9.5MM represents the franchise’s high-water mark on a multiyear deal

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Bell’s second franchise tag (2018) covered $14.54MM, but the RB became the first tagged player this century to skip a season; Jaylen Warren‘s 2025 extension brought the highest Steelers RB guarantee ($7.1MM) on a multiyear deal

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

  • Clinton Portis; March 1, 2004: Eight years, $50.52MM ($13MM guaranteed)

Information from OverTheCap and Spotrac was used in the creation of this post

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