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It was no surprise to hear this as both Jones and the Colts had mutual interest in a re-signing after their regular season ended, and Jones’ Achilles tear had a lot to do with them tumbling out of the playoffs. We’re extremely curious who is compromising on value here as Jones has been an almost-Kirk Cousinsesque money maker over his early career, and it would seem that his mobility being compromised would make him tough to trust in 2026 as a starter since a real chunk of his value is tied to that. The Colts, of course, don’t have any better options after dealing their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks away for Sauce Gardner. It wouldn’t be surprising if this got to the stage of franchise or transition tags.

The long-time journeyman quarterback had worked as Eagles quarterbacks coach before packing up to Indianapolis with Shane Steichen. It’s his first offensive coordinator interview. Tanney is most famous for posting several trick-shot videos on YouTube in the early 2010s. He attempted just 15 professional passes from 2012-2020, spending the 2018-2020 seasons with the Giants.

Cooter has also been linked to the Eagles this offseason and has interviewed with them twice. As a non-playcaller behind Shane Steichen in Indianapolis, it’s natural that he’d accept a lateral move that allows him to call plays. It’s also possible this is a leverage interview to try to draw an offer from Philadelphia, though that would just be speculation on our part.

The Eagles are still searching for their next offensive coordinator, now having interviewed the Colts’ Jim Bob Cooter both virtually and in-person. Cooter is offensive coordinator of the Colts, coaching offenses with rotating quarterbacks and Jonathan Taylor as the constant since 2023. The Eagles bringing him in for a second interview indicates Cooter is a finalist for the role.

Anarumo spent the 2025 serving as the Colts’ defensive coordinator after being fired by the Bengals in 2024. He held the same position with them for six years. Anarumo also received interview requests from the Giants and Titans during this interview cycle.

Anarumo, 59, is once again a popular head coaching candidate, landing interviews with the Titans and Giants before those teams filled their head coaching spots with Robert Saleh and John Harbaugh, respectively. Buffalo is seeking a new head coach after firing Sean McDernmott, one of the league’s winningest coaches over the past decade. The Colts under Anarumo in 2025 finished 23rd in yards allowed and 21st in points allowed, with their best finish in any category being allowing only 3.9 rushing yards per attempt.

Pittman “basically admitted after the Colts’ regular-season finale that he might have played his last game for the franchise.” The franchise stalwart has a $29 million cap hit in 2026 and would free up $24 million for the Colts if he were cut. Entering his age-29 season, it’s possible that Pittman generates some low-end trade interest ahead of free agency if he’s willing to restructure his contract for other teams. It’s also possible the Colts simply cut him or restructure him and keep him.

He also notes that Chris Ballard “openly theorized about [Riley] Leonard being the team’s backup in 2026" while saying that he believes both Richardson and the team could benefit from a divorce. We doubt that Richardson would bring back much draft capital at this point, but every bit of it might matter for a team that dealt two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner. Richardson could be a low-cost or rehab option for teams this offseason in what looks to be a pretty barren quarterback market.

An exclusive rights free agent, Ajiake had 32 tackles and played 70 percent of the Colts special teams snaps this year. He also saw some sparse time at linebacker, with 157 defensive snaps over 16 games. The Colts also agreed to terms with RB Ulysses Bentley IV, CB Wyett Ekeler, DE Viliami Fehoko Jr., G LaDarius Henderson, QB Seth Henigan, T Bayron Matos, C Jimmy Morrissey, TE Sean McKeon, S Trey Washington, WR Coleman Owen, DT Tim Smith, G Bill Murray, DE Durell Nchami, S Ben Nikkel, WR Eli Pancol and G Josh Sills on reserve/future contracts.

They’re the second team to add the Colts DC to their interview list, after the Titans. Anarumo appears to have rejuvenated his reputation after being fired in Cincinnati after 2024 in a hurry. The Colts finished 23rd in yards allowed and 21st in points allowed, with their best finish in any category being allowing only 3.9 rushing yards per attempt.