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Stampede Blue

An Indianapolis Colts blog

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Arden Key signs with Colts on a 2-year deal

According to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz, the Indianapolis Colts are signing Tennessee Titans free agent edge Arden Key to a 2-year, $20 million deal (with $11 million guaranteed): Originally a 2018 3rd round pick of the Raiders franchise, the 6,’5”, 240 pound edge rusher is coming off a season for the Titans defense in which […]

Report: Bears poach Colts’ latest backup free agent defensive lineman

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Chicago Bears have quickly signed Indianapolis Colts free agent defensive tackle Neville Gallimore to a 2-year, $12 million deal during the legal tampering period: It comes exactly one offseason after the Bears also poached former Colts backup versatile defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo to a 3-year, $48 million deal […]

Report: Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. traded to Steelers

Indianapolis, IN — The Indianapolis Colts establish their wide receiver room moving forward after trading longtime wideout Michael Pittman Jr. to the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to NFL Insider Tom Pelissero. The compensation includes a late-round pick swap, as this move more so points to Indy’s lack of cap space to include Pittman Jr. in their […]

The Alec Pierce Sweepstakes Ends in Historic Fashion

Indianapolis, IN — The Indianapolis Colts made history today by signing wide receiver Alec Pierce to the biggest free agent contract his position has ever seen, a 4-year, $114m deal containing $84m in guarantees. Pierce is fresh off a season in which he lit the league on fire. Securing his first 1,000-yard season (1,003 yards) […]

Rapid Reaction: Pierce secures record deal to sign with Colts

The Indianapolis Colts made a massive commitment to retain one of their best skill players, agreeing to sign standout receiver Alec Pierce to a four-year, $116 million contract extension. The deal was negotiated by agents Mike Swenson and CJ LaBoy and was agreed on before Monday’s announcement. The four-year contract carries an average annual value […]

Report: Colts and FA WR Alec Pierce agree to 4-year, $116M contract extension—keeping him in Indianapolis

According to ESPN’s Pat McAfee of ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter), the Indianapolis Colts and highly coveted, otherwise soon-to-be free agent wideout Alec Pierce have agreed to a 4-year, $116 million contract extension, right around where the league’s official tampering period would’ve otherwise opened at noon today (EST): It’ll be interesting to […]

Potential Free Agent Linebacker Targets for the Colts

The Indianapolis Colts’ decision to trade away Zaire Franklin leaves a major leadership and production void in the middle of their defense. With Lou Anarumo taking over as defensive coordinator last year and installing his versatile, matchup‑driven defensive system, the Colts must find linebackers who can handle pattern‑matching responsibilities, disguise pressures, and stay disciplined against […]

Indianapolis Colts free agent WR replacement options if Alec Pierce departs soon

With Alec Pierce signaling he intends to explore free agency, the Indianapolis Colts must prepare for the possibility of losing their primary vertical threat. Pierce has expressed admiration for the franchise but believes he has “earned the right to explore free agency,” leaving Indianapolis with a potential hole in its deep‑passing game. If he departs, […]

Position Mastery: Edge Rushers

The draft is under three months away, and edge rusher is one of the easiest positions to misread if you only watch highlights. Sacks get all the attention, but sacks by themselves don’t tell you much. A player can rack up college production by beating bad tackles, cleaning up broken plays, or simply being the […]

NFL

Colts reportedly offered FA QB Daniel Jones ‘Sam Darnold money,’ but his camp had rather lofty counter offer

According to SI.com’s Albert Breer, the Indianapolis Colts offered pending free agent starting quarterback Daniel Jones ‘Sam Darnold money’, but Jones and his camp countered with a surprising $50 million per year contract proposal: “The Colts’ initial offer to Jones was in the range of Sam Darnold’s three-year, $100.5 million deal last offseason,” writes Breer. […]

Colts re-sign Blake Grupe

In a move that feels anti-climatic for Colts fans, Chris Ballard and the Indianapolis Colts front office are bringing back kicker Blake Grupe on a 1 year $1.4 million deal. Grupe was very good for the Colts in his five games last season, going 11 for 11 on field goals and 10 out of 10 […]

Colts trade former NFL All-Pro LB Zaire Franklin to Packers

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, the Indianapolis Colts are trading former NFL All-Pro starting linebacker Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers for defensive tackle Colby Wooden: It comes after an initial national report that the Colts were shopping Franklin to other NFL teams earlier this week. With Colts longtime general […]

Former longtime Colts Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly announces retirement from NFL

On Friday afternoon, former Indianapolis Colts longtime Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly announced his retirement from professional football as a current member of the Minnesota Vikings: Originally a 2016 first round pick of Indianapolis, Kelly would go on to make 121 career starts for the Colts at center over his first 9 seasons—en route to […]

Does anyone feel optimistic about what the Colts are doing right now?

Does anyone feel optimistic about what the Indianapolis Colts are doing was the question, but maybe a better one is, what exactly are the Colts doing right now? For years, my personal gripe has been that this franchise is directionless. This lack of direction starts at the top with Chris Ballard and has been one […]

ESPN lists Colts safety Nick Cross as team’s free agent ‘most likely on move’

According to ESPN, Indianapolis Colts starting safety Nick Cross is their pending free agent “most likely on the move”—which may give slight optimism for the Horseshoe faithful worried about retaining wideout Alec Pierce rapidly approaching free agency’s formal kick-off: FA most likely on the move: S Nick Cross. The Colts’ signing of veteran free agent Cam Bynum last offseason, […]

NFL Insider has reportedly ‘heard Cardinals Pro Bowl QB Kyler Murray has interest joining Colts’

According to SI.com’s Albert Breer, Arizona Cardinals former Pro Bowl starting quarterback Kyler Murray, who’s expected to be released shortly, has interest in joining the Indianapolis Colts: “The obvious one, as we said earlier, is Minnesota,” writes Breer when asked which top NFL teams are interested in Murray. “Who else? Well, the Jets could potentially […]

Patriots reportedly will be in strong pursuit of Colts FA wideout Alec Pierce, among other speculated suitors

According to Essentially Sports’ NFL Draft Analyst Tony Pauline, the New England Patriots are expected to shortly be in strong pursuit of pending Indianapolis Colts free agent wideout Alec Pierce: “I reported just before the Combine that the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans are two teams ready to make a bid for Pierce,” writes […]

Report: Colts are shopping LB Zaire Franklin

The Indianapolis Colts are actively speaking with teams about a trade for linebacker Zaire Franklin, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The former special teamer turned six-time team captain (2020-2025) has spent all eight of his seasons in the NFL with the Colts, racking up a total of 738 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 10 […]

Tagging Jones may not have been optimal, but the Colts had to do it.

As Colt fans, we did not get our optimal results for the tag designation period. In a perfect world, Jones would have signed a team/cap friendly deal that allowed the Colts to tag Pierce. I understand that there is also a faction out there that were perfectly willing to let Jones walk or at minimum […]

Alec Pierce’s statement on free agency has Colts fans sweating

Tag, you’re it, or in this case, you’re not it if we are referring to Alec Pierce. The Indianapolis Colts entered the offseason with one tag to offer and two targets. Like a game of musical chairs, someone was going to be without a seat. That person is Pierce, and while nothing is set in […]

Alec Pierce to test the open market

Indianapolis Colts‘ budding star wide receiver Alec Pierce recently revealed on the Up & Adams Show that he will indeed be testing the open market as an unrestricted free agent come Monday, March 9th at 12:00 PM EST. “I love Indy. I’ve loved playing there. Great organization, great people in the city. Just a ton […]

Chris Ballard messed it up again

Chris Ballard had one simple decision to make this week: use the tag on the right player. Instead, he protected the wrong one. The Colts placed the transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones while leaving wide receiver Alec Pierce unprotected heading into free agency. The transition tag allows Indianapolis to match any offer Jones receives, […]

Colts reportedly made ‘aggressive move’ to re-sign Alec Pierce, but tag-less, now poised to ‘entertain other offers’

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, while the Indianapolis Colts made an ‘aggressive move’ to re-sign Alec Pierce before Tuesday’s late afternoon league tag deadline, all signs were already pointing to the team’s lead wideout testing the free agent waters next mid-week—short of the Horseshoe applying the franchise tag (which the transition tag went to […]