Chris Ballard, Indianapolis Colts
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General manager Chris Ballard of the Indianapolis Colts speaks to the media during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 01, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Indianapolis Colts and general manager Chris Ballard have had a busy NFL offseason thus far.
After starting the 2025 season looking like one of the best teams in the league, the Colts fell apart in the second half of the season and missed the playoffs. They lost seven straight game to close out the year.
Following that disappointment, Indianapolis has a renewed sense of urgency this offseason. For the most part, Ballard and the front office have prioritized keeping the roster together. They accomplished two of their biggest goals by re-signing both Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce.
That being said, it was clear last season that some roster improvements were needed.
At this point in the offseason, the wide receiver position could be a need. Pierce was re-signed, but the team had to pivot and trade Michael Pittman Jr. due to how expensive his deal was. The Colts could use another wideout alongside of Pierce and Josh Downs.
Keeping that in mind, there is one clear option who would make a lot of sense.
Indianapolis Colts Should Look to Pursue Free Agent Stefon Diggs
Indianapolis still has over $40 million in cap space to play around with. Diggs would be the kind of target for Jones that could take the offense to the next level.
Last season, Diggs played for the New England Patriots. He ended up being the No. 1 target for Drake Maye and helped lead the Patriots to the Super Bowl.
Unfortunately for Diggs and New England, the Seattle Seahawks put together a dominant performance in the Super Bowl to win it all.
Diggs played in all 17 regular season games. He caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. Those numbers would look nice for the Colts.
Whether or not Indianapolis is interested in targeting free agency wide receiver help or not remains to be seen. After trading Pittman, however, the Colts could use another playmaker at the position.
Other Potential Avenues for Wide Receiver Help
There are no free agents available who would be able to make the kind of impact on the Indianapolis offense that Diggs could make.
Should the Colts decide against pursuing Diggs, the 2026 NFL Draft could be one way to find improvement. There are plenty of talented wideouts available in this year’s class.
It’s possible Indianapolis could prioritize a young wideout rather than spending money on Diggs. Spotrac has projected that the 32-year-old wideout could command around $13.8 million per season.
While paying Diggs would be more expensive than using a draft pick on a wide receiver, the Colts are not far off from being a Super Bowl contender. If Ballard and company are going all-in on contention, signing Diggs would be well worth the risk.