Indianapolis, IN

Best available 2026 NFL free agents on defense for Indianapolis Colts

Published

4 months ago

January 9, 2026

Best available 2026 NFL free agents on defense for Indianapolis Colts

According to a few different rankings, here are the best available NFL free agent defenders for the Indianapolis Colts.

As the Indianapolis Colts attempt to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, free agency will have to be a big part of that equation.

The Colts will have money to spend this offseason. According to Over the Cap, the Colts have $45.77 million in available cap space. Compared to the rest of the NFL, this is the ninth-most in football currently.

As GM Chris Ballard said on Thursday, salary cap-wise, the Colts are in “good shape.”

The Colts also have the ability to create more cap room if needed.

Last offseason, we saw Ballard take a much more aggressive approach in free agency. From the sounds of it, he will “continue down that path” this offseason.

There are always reasons to address just about every position group over the course of an offseason, but two specific areas Ballard mentioned on Thursday were the defensive front and getting faster on defense as a whole.

So, with a focus on the defense, specifically the front seven, here are the top available free agents this offseason at those positions.

Best available 2026 NFL free agents on defense for Indianapolis Colts

DE Trey Hendrickson
DE Jaelan Phillips
IDL John Franklin-Myers
LB Quay Walker
LB Devin Lloyd
DE Odafe Oweh
DE Boye Mafe
LB Nakobe Dean
DE Joey Bosa
IDL Travis Jones
DE Khalil Mack
LB Demario Davis
DE Kyle Van Noy
IDL Teair Tart
IDL DaQuan Jones

*This list was compiled by rankings from Sports Illustrated, The Ringer, and Bleacher Report

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Indianapolis, IN

Daly takes charge on second day of Indianapolis 500 practice

Published

11 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

Daly takes charge on second day of Indianapolis 500 practice

Conor Daly was fast to open the Indianapolis 500 on Tuesday, and even faster on Wednesday when the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing ace topped the speed chart with a lap of 228.080 mph turned in the No. 23 Chevy.“We weren’t even flat on that lap, so I don’t know, the…

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Indianapolis, IN

Katherine Legge Will Attempt to Make History With Indianapolis 500, NASCAR Double in Same Day

Published

23 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Press Room

Katherine Legge Will Attempt to Make History With Indianapolis 500, NASCAR Double in Same Day

Katherine Legge will look to make motorsports history this month by competing in IndyCar and NASCAR Cup Series races on the same day.

According to ESPN, Legge’s BRANDed Management announced Wednesday that she intends to race in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on May 24, which is a feat known in racing as “the double.”

The double has been attempted 10 times by five different drivers, but Legge would be the first woman to do so if she pulls it off.

Speaking to USA Today‘s Mitchell Northam regarding her ambitious plan, Legge said, “It’s another groundbreaking thing that I can showcase to the world really that, if you set your mind to things, you can do anything, and you can do things that maybe you never even dreamt of before.”

Legge, who is a 45-year-old motorsports veteran from England, has competed in the Indy 500 four times, and she has run in eight NASCAR Cup Series races over the past two seasons.

Her best Indy 500 finish to date was 22nd in 2012, while her best result in a NASCAR Cup Series race was 17th last season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Kyle Larson was the most recent driver to run the double, doing so last season. He previously attempted it in 2024, but a rain delay during the Indy 500 caused him to miss the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

John Andretti, Robby Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Larson have all run the double, but the only driver to ever complete every lap of both races in the same day was Stewart in 2001.

No driver running the double has ever won a race as part of it. Stewart’s finishes of sixth in the Indy 500 and third in the Coca-Cola 600 in 2001 are the best results in the double to date.

Regardless of where she finishes, Legge will etch her name in motorsports history forever if she is merely able to qualify for and compete in both the 2026 Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600.

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Indy’s own Conor Daly starts strong as Indy 500 practice opens

Published

1 day ago

May 12, 2026

Press Room

Indy’s own Conor Daly starts strong as Indy 500 practice opens

INDIANAPOLIS — Opening day for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 featured six hours of practice around the famed 2.5-mile oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Noblesville native Conor Daly finished among the top three on the speed charts, recording a best lap of 225.838 mph.

Daly returns for his 13th Indianapolis 500 start, driving the No. 23 Chevrolet for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. The race marks the team’s lone IndyCar entry of the season, and Daly’s first Indy 500 appearance since spending 2025 as a full-time driver for Juncos Hollinger Racing, where he finished 18th in the championship standings.

“Just a good Day 1,” Daly said. “I’m very happy with the mechanical balance in the car right now.”

Much of the early session consisted of single-car runs, with pack drafting not becoming common until later in the afternoon. Even then, traffic remained manageable, and the day unfolded without major interruptions.

Despite limited drafting throughout most of the session, Daly said he was pleased with the early feel of the car and believes the team has a clear direction moving forward.

“We definitely know what we want to do for tomorrow,” Daly said. “We identified a couple things that we want to reevaluate tomorrow.”

Wind conditions also became a major factor throughout the paddock, adding another layer of challenge for drivers trying to find consistency.

“The wind is really making things interesting,” Daly said. “It seems like the last couple of years that’s changed the race a lot.”

Still, the opening day remained relatively clean despite the high speeds and steady track activity. The only significant issue came for defending Indianapolis 500 winner Alex Palou, who spent much of the session in the garage after reporting a problem in the rear of his car.

Palou returned to the track in the closing minutes and quickly jumped to the top of the speed charts, posting the fastest lap of the day at 225.937 mph.

Jessica Garcete is an IndyStar sports reporter. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.

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