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Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

NFL Minor Transactions: 8/1/25

August 1st, 2025 at 6:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the first minor NFL moves in August:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

49ers Did Not Offer Charvarius Ward Extension; Latest On Colts’ CB Corps

August 1st, 2025 at 5:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Charvarius Ward landed on his feet in free agency, joining a few third-contract-seeking cornerbacks in collecting a nice payday on Day 1 of the legal tampering period. That market settled in between $16-$18MM per year, and Ward landed a deal on the high end of that range by signing with the Colts.

The All-Pro corner’s three-year, $54MM deal matched the pacts given to Carlton Davis and Byron Murphy, and it came after a down year for Ward in San Francisco. Ward mourned the loss of his 1-year-old daughter, who died in October. Ward missed three games, but he admitted his 49ers tenure was going south independent of his personal tragedy.

“Even before everything happened with my baby, I really wasn’t super motivated,” Ward said, via The Athletic’s Michael Silver. “Because after the year I had in ‘23, I wanted a contract extension — because I wanted to stay — and I knew I wasn’t getting a contract offer. They came to me and kind of told me what it was, ’cause they had (other) people to pay. So it kind of had me in my feelings a little bit. I just never made it public.

“I was hurt when I realized I wasn’t getting a contract extension or even an offer for an extension. So, I wasn’t motivated; like, from OTAs all the way through camp, I was kind of pissed off. I knew when the season started it was a wrap for me in the Bay.”

Kyle Shanahan said the 49ers were interested in paying Ward, but their actions revealed he was almost definitely set to be a one-contract 49er. San Francisco paid their other starting corner, Deommodore Lenoir, weeks after the death of Ward’s daughter. Lenoir, more than three years younger than the 29-year-old Ward, became the corner the 49ers built their 2025 roster around. Ward joins Kenny Moore in a suddenly pricey Colts CB corps. The 49ers also let the likes of Dre Greenlaw, Talanoa Hufanga and Aaron Banks walk; they have since paid Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Fred Warner as well.

PFR’s No. 23 free agent, Ward will be expected to reprise his 2023 form in Indianapolis. He earned second-team All-Pro acclaim for that season, which produced a 49ers NFC championship. In 2024, however, Ward yielded 61.5% accuracy as the closest defender. This corresponded with a rise in passer rating allowed (116.6 – up from 2023’s 64.5 number). Pro Football Focus had rated Ward as a top-six corner in both 2022 and ’23, but it dropped him to 93rd. Despite moving close to 30, Ward commanded a big market — one that included interest from the Saints and Chiefs.

Ward and Moore will anchor Indy’s CB cadre, but the team has seen rookie Justin Walley push for a starting role. Walley drew praise during the Colts’ offseason program, but other competitors for the team’s boundary job opposite Ward (Jaylon Jones, Julius Brents) were down with injuries. Hamstring issues have limited both in training camp as well. Walley has since continued his ascent to the point he appears the favorite to be the team’s third CB starter, The Athletic’s James Boyd notes. The Colts have given the third-round pick first-team work alongside Moore and Ward, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson.

Although Walley worked with the starters during the first week of Colts camp, Erickson notes the competition is not over. Jones made 27 starts from 2023-24, helping the team cover for Brents’ injury trouble. Brents is a former second-round pick who arrived just before the Isaiah Rodgers gambling scandal emerged, but the Indianapolis native has played only 11 games in two seasons.

Walley was rumored to be a Moore heir apparent in the slot. At 5-foot-11, the Minnesota alum has filled in for the veteran staple there during camp as well. Moore is not in any danger of being displaced this year, but the Colts look ready to give Walley a big role in the not-too-distant future. That may start on the perimeter this season.

NFL Minor Transactions: 7/31/25

July 31st, 2025 at 8:35pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: WR Chase Cota

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: LB Garrett Nelson
  • Reverted to IR: LB Johnny Walker

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: WR Jaden Smith
  • Waived/injured: S Marcus Banks, RB D.J. Williams

Washington Commanders

  • Activated from active/NFI: OL Tim McKay

The Colts added some experienced cornerback depth today in Tre Herndon and Duke Shelley. Herndon had a long stint in Jacksonville, starting 34 of his 83 appearances with the organization. Shelley has bounced around the league a bit, with his longest stint coming in Chicago between 2019 and 2021. Both players were limited to one appearance each during the 2024 campaign.

The 49ers made a long list of moves today, most notably to their wide receiver depth. Marquez Callaway was limited to two games in Tampa Bay last season, but he compiled 698 receiving yards and six touchdowns as recently as 2021. Andy Isabella has only gotten into 13 total games over the past four years, hauling in five receptions over that span. They’ll be taking the roster spots previously held by former Bears starter Equanimeous St. Brown and former Kansas State standout Malik Knowles.

Colts, Bernhard Raimann Agree To Extension

July 28th, 2025 at 10:45pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Colts are locking down left tackle Bernhard Raimann with a four-year, $100MM extension, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The deal is now official, per a team announcement.

Raimann said last week a gap between his asking price and the Colts’ offers existed; that difference was resolved in a matter of days. In that time, the Chargers signed Rashawn Slater to a $28.5MM APY extension, which may have helped to accelerate negotiations in Indianapolis.

Raimann’s $25MM APY makes him the sixth-highest-paid offensive lineman in the league, tied with Laremy Tunsil and Lane Johnson. His contract also includes $60MM in guaranteed money; if that amount is fully guaranteed, it would be the second-most among all offensive lineman.

Regardless of the precise terms, it’s an impressive deal for the Austrian-born Raimann, a rare franchise left tackle drafted outside of the first round. That’s all the more impressive considering the fact that he converted from tight end to offensive tackle at Central Michigan in 2020 and only played 18 games at the position before going to the NFL. After a strong Combine, the Colts bet on his athletic potential and selected him in the third round (No. 77) of the 2022 draft. Raimann had an uneven start to his rookie year, but took over the left tackle job in Week 9 and never looked back.

Raimann is not a household name, due in part to his lack of Pro Bowl or All-Pro recognition. However, he has been graded as a top-10 tackle by Pro Football Focus (subscription required) over the last two years, combining with Quenton Nelson to form one of the best tackle-guard duos in the league. With a combined APY of $45MM, they are now also one of the most expensive.

The Colts now have Raimann under contract through 2029, but their future at other spots is less clear. Nelson is due for an extension next offseason and will likely receive another deal at the top of the guard market barring a significant injury or drop in play. The team hopes Tanor Bortolini can succeed Ryan Kelly, but the 2024 fourth-rounder only has five pro starts under his belt. 2024 third-rounder Matt Goncalves is moving to right guard after playing tackle in college as well as his rookie year. Braden Smith accepted a pay cut this year, which often precludes a parting of ways after the season, though Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley stands out as an exception.

Indianapolis will be hoping that its 2024 draftees can hold up in starting roles and leave right tackle as the only uncertain spot heading into 2026. Raimann is now the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman drafted outside of the first round, as well as one of the highest-paid foreign-born players in league history.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/25

July 28th, 2025 at 10:35pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: CB Keni-H Lovely

Baltimore Ravens

  • Activated from non-football injury list: LB Jake Hummel

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Activated from active/NFI list: S Josh Minkins

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Jenkins, who switched to center this offseason, was dealing with a back injury in training camp and participated in a limited capacity on Monday, per USA Today’s Ryan Wood.

Evans, a sixth-round pick by the Rams in 2023, played in 10 games as a rookie but didn’t make the 53-man roster in 2024. He joined the Jets’ practice squad in December and signed a reserve/futures contract in January, but opted to retire instead.

WR Alec Pierce Does Not Anticipate Colts Extension

July 26th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Earlier this offseason, it was reported Alec Pierce and the Colts had yet to engage in extension talks. The fourth-year wideout’s camp has in fact spoken to the team about a second contract, but it is still unlikely one will be worked out any time soon.

Pierce is one of several Day 2 swings Indianapolis has taken at the receiver position under general manager Chris Ballard. The former second-rounder handled a regular offensive role during his rookie season before becoming a full-time starter in 2023. During that period, Pierce saw his yards per catch rate increase but managed only four touchdowns.

This past campaign resulted in a step forward in production despite the Colts’ quarterback issues. Pierce set a new personal best with 824 yards and caught a career-high seven touchdowns. His 22.3 yards per reception average led the NFL. At the age of 25, a raise should be in store on his next deal. It remains to be seen if it will come from Indianapolis, though.

“I haven’t even thought about it too much in terms of myself,” Pierce said when speaking about a potential Colts extension (via Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star). “My agents might have talked with them a while back, but I feel like on that front, it’s going to be play the season out, kind of see where things go.”

While the door is certainly not closed to an arrangement keeping the Cincinnati product in place beyond 2025, Pierce’s comments strongly indicate he will at least test his market next spring. The Colts have not been shy about retaining in-house players during Ballard’s tenure as GM, although a philosophical shift was implemented this offseason. That could contribute to a 2026 free agent departure in this case.

The Colts have Michael Pittman Jr. on the books for another two years (with his $18MM base salary guaranteed in full for 2025.). He will be counted on to remain the team’s No. 1 wideout irrespective of who earns the starting quarterback gig. Ashton Dulin was re-signed on a two-year pact this offseason, and he will provide Indianapolis with a cost-effective depth option. Pierce is joined by Josh Downs (third round, 2023) and Adonai Mitchell (second round, 2024) as a Colts wideout attached to a rookie contract.

The team would therefore still have low-cost receivers to supplement Pittman in the event Pierce were to leave on the open market. It will be interesting to see if things change and efforts are made to work out a deal as the 2025 season progresses.

Colts, Bernhard Raimann Talking Extension

July 24th, 2025 at 4:21pm CST by Adam La Rose

One year remains on Bernhard Raimann‘s rookie contract. To little surprise, talks on an extension have taken place between the Colts and their starting left tackle.

Raimann has handled first-team duties for 40 of his 45 career games with Indianapolis. The 27-year-old Austrian has yet to log a full 17-game slate, but he figures to be in the team’s long-term plans. While negotiations on a new deal are underway, though, a gap exists between team and player at this point.

“From my understanding, is that the numbers don’t quite add up yet,” Raimann said when speaking to Jake Query of 107.5 The Fan. “They way they might value a position differently than my team thinks it is. We’re working on things.”

Of course, differences between the initial asking price from a player’s camp and the team’s valuation is commonplace in extension talks. As training camp progresses, it will be interesting to see if progress can be made allowing for a deal to be reached by Week 1. If no agreement is struck, 2025 will become a crucial campaign Raimann’s case.

The former third-rounder has seen his PFF evaluation improve with each passing season far in his career. Raimann ranked 25th amongst qualifying tackles as a rookie, but he has landed in the top 10 for each of the past two campaigns. A similar showing this year would certainly boost his stock on either a second Colts pact or one sending him to a new team via free agency (although the franchise tag would allow Indianapolis to prevent a departure in March).

The Colts already have Quenton Nelson attached to a deal averaging $20MM per season, making him one of only five NFL guards with an AAV that high. Right tackle Braden Smith – who agreed to a pay cut this offseason and is a pending 2026 free agent – is the only other offensive linemen on the team on the books at a notable figure. Two in-house blockers (center Tanor Bortolini and right guard Matt Goncalves) are set to take on full-time starting roles in the wake of center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries joining the Vikings in free agency. Raimann leaving on the open market would be even more consequential to the Colts, so the progress of negotiations will be worth watching in his case.

DT Khalil Davis Retires

July 21st, 2025 at 10:21am CST by Adam La Rose

Khalil Davis remains unsigned as training camps open around the league. In lieu of continuing to pursue a free agent deal, the defensive tackle is hanging up his cleats.

Davis’ agent informed ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Monday of the news. As a result of the decision to end his NFL career, Davis will depart the league at the age of 28. His brother Carlos Davis has not officially retired but he last played in the regular season in 2022 and did not catch on with a team after being among the Bengals’ final cuts last summer.

Khalil Davis was selected one round earlier than his brother in the 2020 draft. Joining Tampa Bay as a sixth-rounder, he made a pair of regular season appearances with the team. Midway through the following season, however, Davis was waived. He played one game with the Colts before bouncing around the Steelers, Rams and Buccaneers’ practice squads.

The Nebraska product signed with the Texans ahead of the 2023 campaign, and it was with Houston that his largest workload emerged. Davis made 24 regular season appearances with the team; in 2023 his defensive snap share of 41% was the highest of his career. He remained with the Texans through the beginning of last season and remained a rotational member of the team’s defensive line. Davis was dealt to the 49ers just before the trade deadline, and he finished out the campaign in San Francisco as a result.

As a member of the Buccaneers during their Super Bowl win in 2020, Davis departs the game with a championship to his name. He added just over $4MM in career earnings while making a combined total of 34 regular and postseason appearances.

Colts Sign DE JT Tuimoloau; Finish Draft Signings

July 19th, 2025 at 12:07pm CST by Ely Allen

July 19: Tuimoloau’s contract is worth $9.942MM over four years, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. 88.02% of the deal, or $8.75MM, is guaranteed, including a fully guaranteed $4.135MM signing bonus.

Comparatively, the No. 45 pick in 2024, Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, received guarantees for less than 80% of his rookie deal.

July 18: The falling dominoes continue with the Colts signing their second-round pick today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Ohio State defensive end JT Tuimoloau put pen to paper today, closing out the team’s rookie class signings.

A top-four recruit in the nation from the Class of 2021, Tuimoloau was on the field early and often as a true freshman for the Buckeyes. Getting snaps behind Zach Harrison and Tyreke Smith, Tuimoloau logged only two starts in Year 1 in Columbus, but he still showed the disruption that was to come with 2.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss, and a batted pass in 12 games.

He exploded in his sophomore year, starting 10 of 13 games as essentially a full-time starter. That year, he only added one sack to his prior year total, but he stuffed the stat sheet elsewhere, logging 10.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, six passes defensed, and two interceptions. He followed that up with a decent junior campaign, improving his sack total to five while still notching seven tackles for loss and two passes defensed.

But it wasn’t until his senior year, a championship season, that he finally lived up to his 5-star recruiting status. Starting all 16 games, Tuimoloau led Ohio State in sacks (12.5) and tackles for loss (21.5), dominating opponents’ backfields all season. He added two forced fumbles and three passes defensed for good measure as he recorded a career-high 61 total tackles.

Indianapolis tied for 25th in the NFL last year with only 36 team sacks. 2021 first-round pick Kwity Paye continued to look decent with a team-leading eight sacks. The team was likely hoping for him to take the next step after he recorded 4.0, 6.0, and 8.5 in his first three seasons, but eight is still plenty serviceable. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was second on the team with 6.5 sacks, his lowest total since arriving in Indy five years ago. Last year’s first-round pick (and the first defensive player off the board in 2024) Laiatu Latu was third on the team, only logging four sacks while coming off the bench behind Dayo Odeyingbo.

So, once again, the Colts turned to the draft this year, hoping to improve their pass rush. With Paye in a contract year, Latu now in the starting lineup, and Tuimoloau chipping in, Indianapolis will hope that its trio of highly drafted pass rushers improves its standing in the sack race in 2025.

With Tuimoloau being the final Colts rookie to sign, here’s a look at the full 2025 draft class in Indianapolis:

Anthony Richardson Is Healthy, Ready To Compete With Daniel Jones For Colts’ QB Gig

July 16th, 2025 at 1:33pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

With the Colts’ veterans due to report in less than a week, quarterback Anthony Richardson is “going to be good going into training camp,” according to ESPN’s Stephen Holder.

Richardson injured his shoulder during OTAs and missed mandatory minicamp, giving new teammate Daniel Jones a chance to take an early lead in the Colts’ starting quarterback competition. Richardson only appeared in 15 games (all starts) in his first two seasons due to injuries, a key factor in the team’s decision to sign Jones and publicly announce an open competition for the QB1 gig.

It was only two years ago that the Colts selected Richardson with the No. 4 pick, but there are signs that the team considers Jones to be a legitimate starting option for the 2025 season. One is that Jones opted to sign in Indianapolis in the first place.

“There was more interest in Daniel Jones out there than people realize,” said ESPN’s Adam Schefter. If Jones chose the Colts over other suitors, that would suggest that he believed he had the best chance of winning a starting job in Indianapolis.

Schefter also noted that the Colts gave Jones $14MM this offseason, more than what Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers received. Both are more experienced than Jones and seem to be the presumptive starters for their teams, so it would stand to reason that Jones is in a similar position.

Jones’ ability to command a new offense will be crucial to his chances of winning the starting job. Richardson, meanwhile, will have to prove that his shoulder is fully healthy and develop some mental and technical consistency to put him in a position to start.

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