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Indianapolis Colts’ Best and Worst Free-Agent Signings of Last Decade

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Indianapolis Colts’ Best and Worst Free-Agent Signings of Last Decade


The Indianapolis Colts under general manager Chris Ballard have generally been extremely cautious in free agency. They rarely bring in outside playmakers, a strategy that hasn’t paid off over the past decade.

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Still, since 2017, Indianapolis has made several impactful outside additions. Some have paid off handsomely, and others have fallen flat. Let’s take a look at Indy’s best and worst signings over the past decade.

Best Signings

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DE Justin Houston

Houston signed with the Colts as a free agent in March 2019 on a two-year, $24 million contract after eight seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he established himself as one of the league’s premier pass rushers.

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Houston is the last Colts pass rusher to record double-digit sacks, doing so in 2019 (11 sacks).

QB Daniel Jones

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Dec 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) looks to throw downfield against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half at EverBank Stadium. | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Daniel Jones played better football than any Colts quarterback since Philip Rivers in 2020. He certainly was worth his $17 million price tag, and it’s fair to say he was one of the best Colts free agent signings of the Chris Ballard era.

Jones was transition tagged by the Colts earlier this week, becoming the second quarterback in NFL history to be placed under the transition tag.

QB Philip Rivers

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Speaking of Rivers, he deserves a spot on this list. In his 2020 campaign, Rivers threw for 4,169 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He led the Colts to their last playoff appearance and nearly upset the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

TE Eric Ebron

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Indianapolis Colts tight end Eric Ebron (85) celebrates and offensive play during the third quarter of their game against the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019. Miami won, 16-12.

Miami Dolphins At Indianapolis Colts In Nfl Week 10 At Lucas Oil Stadium In Indianapolis Sunday Nov 10 2019 | Jenna Watson/IndyStar, Indianapolis Star via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Ebron struggled with drops throughout his career, but his one season paired with Andrew Luck was special. In 2018, Ebron hauled in 66 receptions for 750 yards and 13 touchdowns. Each of those numbers was a career high.

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In 2019, Ebron’s production fell off a cliff. He only caught 31 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns from Jacoby Brissett and Brian Hoyer. Still, Ebron deserves recognition for his one decent year in Indy.

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Worst Signings

CB Xavien Howard

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Howard was brought in weeks before the 2025 season, and after a month in Indy, he abruptly retired. The former All-Pro corner struggled mightily during his brief Colts tenure. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed a 139.2 passer rating and 16 receptions while earning a 36.1 overall grade.

Once Puka Nacua went for 13 receptions and 170 yards while matched up against Howard, the 10-year veteran knew it was time to hang up the cleats for good.

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K Matt Gay

Jan 5, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts place kicker Matt Gay (7) kicks a field goal in overtime during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christine Tannous/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Christine Tannous/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Ballard rarely gives out money, but in 2023, he thought it would be wise to sign Matt Gay to the largest free-agent kicker contract of all time (four years, $22.5 million). Gay stayed for two seasons before the team cut him last spring.

During his time in Indianapolis, Gay converted 82.1% of his field goal attempts (64 of 78). When kicking from 50 yards and beyond, Gay had a 50% success rate (11 of 22).

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DT Raekwon Davis

The Colts signed Davis as a cheap depth piece at defensive tackle, but he never truly became anything special. He appeared in 17 games in 2024, recording 15 total tackles.

The Colts gave Davis a two-year, $14 million deal only to cut him before his second season in Indy.

WR Devin Funchess

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Sep 8, 2019; Carson, CA, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Devin Funchess (17) can t hang onto the ball on a pass I the end zone in the closing minute of regulation against the Los Angeles Chargers at Dignity Health Sports Park. Defending on the play is Los Angeles Chargers defensive back Brandon Facyson (28). Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Ballard signed Funchess to a one-year deal worth up to $13 million back in 2019, months before Luck retired. Funchess missed most of the season with a broken collarbone that he suffered in Week 1 after hauling in three receptions for 32 yards.

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Funchess’s lack of success in Indy wasn’t his fault, but it was another signing down the drain for Ballard’s front office.



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Indianapolis, IN

IU to play Syracuse at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

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IU to play Syracuse at Gainbridge Fieldhouse


BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — IU is set to play Syracuse at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 9, a source confirmed to WISH-TV Sports Director Anthony Calhoun.

Darian DeVries is heading into his second season as IU’s head coach. The Hoosiers went 18-14 in his first season at the helm.

IU and Syracuse last played in 2021, a game Syracuse won in double overtime.

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BSU co-hosts celebrity look-alike contest with other Indianapolis universities – The Butler Collegian

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BSU co-hosts celebrity look-alike contest with other Indianapolis universities – The Butler Collegian


College students from all across Indianapolis came together to sing, dance and have a good time. Photo by Mason Buysse.

On March 27, the Black Student Union (BSU) co-hosted a celebrity look-alike contest alongside Indiana University Indianapolis (IU Indy), Marian University and University of Indianapolis (UIndy). The event consisted of seven choreographed lip-sync routines and several impromptu performances from audience members. Celebrity impersonations included Rod Wave, GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion and more. 

Jayla Myers, a sophomore biology and Spanish double major, serves as the vice president of programming for BSU and helped host the event. Last year, she was the first-year chair for the logistics committee. Myers credited IU Indy for coming up with the idea for the event and inviting the Black student organizations at other universities across Indianapolis.

“We’re in really hard times right now, especially as a community,” Myers said. “We wanted to come together and have an event citywide, across all the BSUs, and [provide] a place for people to express themselves through the music that they listen to day-to-day.”  

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Zimmya, a first-year nursing major at UIndy, participated in the event as a performer. She is a member of Let’s Link, an organization serving Black and Brown students at UIndy. After seeing similar events online, she was inspired to replicate them in real life. She also enjoyed working with the other schools. 

“Everyone [was] very welcoming,” Zimmya said. “[They have] a good spirit, good vibe. It was really easy to collaborate and put it all together.”

As far as her performance went, Zimmya’s chosen celebrity look-alike was Rod Wave. She said it was an easy choice to perform her favorite song by her favorite artist. She rated the overall experience a 10 out of 10. 

“This is one of my first events, planning something with other schools,” Zimmya said. “It’s been pretty cool. It seemed hectic at first, but once everybody got their roles of what to do, it became pretty simple.”

Amiia Burnett, a sophomore speech, language and hearing sciences major, will serve as BSU’s communications liaison for the 2026-27 school year. She also participated as a contestant in the celebrity lookalike contest alongside first-year sports media major Amaya Nichols, where they performed as Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla. 

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“I’m glad that we were able to do it,” Burnett said. “It was fun to get our energy out and have these fun, upbeat dances.”

Burnett enjoyed getting to know the students from other universities. 

“I felt very welcome,” Burnett said. “It was a big group of people that got along nicely.” 

Myers is also involved with Butler’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People as the organization’s treasurer and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

“I love being able to cultivate a community on Butler’s campus,” Myers said. 

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With Butler being a predominantly white institution, Myers stated that her favorite part of BSU is trying to make sure the Black student population stays united and builds a comfortable, welcoming community. 

While this is the first celebrity look-alike contest hosted by BSU, there are other events put on annually, such as Kwanzaa and a variety of events during Black History Month. Myers urges Butler students to attend BSU events. 

“People love to say that Butler doesn’t have a Black community or isn’t trying to foster Black community, but you can’t show up to a neighborhood and ask to be a neighbor when you’re not a good neighbor,” Myers said. “You have to show up to events in order to cultivate a community.”

Burnett also agreed that having a Black community on campus is important to her. 

“Being able to be in [Black] spaces, you’re around people that relate to you and understand what it feels like,” Burnett said.

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Indianapolis Colts GM Suggests Team Could Make Surprising Anthony Richardson Decision

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Indianapolis Colts GM Suggests Team Could Make Surprising Anthony Richardson Decision


When the Indianapolis Colts signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a multi-year extension, it was viewed as a foregone conclusion that former first-round pick Anthony Richardson would be traded this offseason. It now appears another option is on the table.

Speaking to repoters this week at the NFL annual league meeting, Colts general manager Chris Ballard said there’s a “scenario” where the team keeps Richardson into the 2026 season.

Indianapolis Colts Urged To Trade for Pro Bowl Edge Rusher

“There’s definitely a scenario there. He’s a good dude and he’s talented. I mean, I still want good for Anthony, man. I still think he’s got a lot in him. He’s had some freaking bad luck, but I still think Anthony has got a lot of ability and he’s maturing and growing.”

Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard on if the team may keep Anthony Richardson

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Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, appeared in just two games this past season with 14 combined offensive snaps. In October, he suffered an orbital bone fracture during pregame warmups when a resistance band he was using snapped and struck him in the face.

At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, the Colts granted Richardson’s agent permission to seek a trade. Various reports have connected the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, and Green Bay Packers to the dual-threat quarterback.

However, Kansas City has since acquired quarterback Justin Fields from the New York Jets. Meanwhile, the Packers are among the teams interested in signing free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins to serve as a backup next season.

There may not be as strong of a trade market for Richardson as his representation hoped for, or Indianapolis might not be satisfied with the draft-pick compensation clubs are offering for him. With Jones recovering from a torn Achilles, it’s clearly possible that the Colts keep Richardson through training camp and see if he could be a starting option until Jones is ready.

Matt Johnson is Senior Editor of NFL and College Football for Sportsnaut. His work, including weekly NFL and college … More about Matt Johnson
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