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Handing out some grades for the Colts’ 2023 rookie class.
The Indianapolis Colts added a ton of young talent in the 2023 NFL draft, selecting a franchise-record 12 selections.
2023 was a mixed bag for this rookie class as it showed promise but injuries limited a number of picks’ impact in year one.
Here, we are going to discuss the Colts rookies who played and contributed to the team in 2023.
Taking a look at the five most disappointing Colts players from 2023.
Despite the Indianapolis Colts missing out on a playoff run, there were plenty of high marks from the 2023 season. Conversely, the Colts also had their share of disappointing players from the campaign.
Between injuries and poor performance, there were a handful of Colts players who failed to meet expectations during the 2023 season. Some will likely have a chance to bounce back in 2024, but the outlook may not be as encouraging as it once was.
We took a look at the players who exceeded expectations. Now, here are five Colts players who disappointed the most in 2023:
Taking a look at eight Colts who could receive contract extensions this offseason.
Ever since Chris Ballard took over as general manager of the Indianapolis Colts, they have been a team not afraid to hand out contract extensions to players they feel have earned it.
This is a big offseason for a Colts organization that is looking to build a playoff contender after narrowly missing out on the postseason. Re-signing some pending free agents to new deals and handing out some contract extensions to players currently under contract will be two ways of doing so.
We’re taking two schools of thought here as it pertains to contract extensions. The first includes pending free agents we believe could earn a multi-year deal before the new league year arrives in March.
The other includes players going into the final year of their current contract. We’ve seen Ballard hand out extensions in the past when players have one year remaining on current deals before that final season arrives. In theory, these deals would likely get done during the summer after free agency and the 2024 NFL draft have already passed.
Admittedly, we’re casting a pretty wide net here. Not all of the players below will receive a new deal this offseason. In fact, the majority of them probably won’t. But if there’s a slight chance they might, we’re going to make the argument as to why it could happen.
Here are eight Colts currently under contract who could receive a contract extension during the 2024 offseason:
Michael Pittman Jr. may want to test the free-agent waters, but it’s unlikely the Colts allow it to get to that point.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is coming off his best season since entering the league, proving to be a vital cog in Shane Steichen’s offense. Now, it’s time to get paid.
Having completed the final year of his rookie contract, Pittman is going to see an incredible uptick in salary regardless of how the offseason shakes out. The odds state that Pittman will be wearing the horseshoe when it’s all said and done, but that doesn’t mean he’s automatically returning.
The former second-round pick told reporters after the Colts’ season ended that he wants to see what kind of offers he can get for his next contract.
“As of right now until March whatever, I’m still a Colt,” Pittman said last week. “But speaking to the contract stuff, I made it this far so – I’ve loved my four years here, but I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence if I didn’t explore every option and find the best fit.”
In theory, that’s all fine and good. In reality, players with Pittman’s talent, production and value don’t hit the market. This is especially true at the wide receiver position, which is increasing in value every offseason.
Pittman may want to see what the free agent market has to offer, but unless both sides are wildly far apart during contract negotiations over the next month, he likely won’t even get the chance to test the waters.
First, the Colts have enough salary cap space to give Pittman a market-level deal north of $20 million annually. Having quarterback Anthony Richardson on a rookie contract gives them that type of flexibility.
Second, the Colts have the franchise tag in their back pocket. Even if they’d prefer to get him under contract, they can use that tool to extend the negotiations until the middle of July if they decide to apply the franchise tag before the new league year arrives March 13.
Depending on what type of tag the Colts apply to Pittman in this hypothetical scenario, it could bar other teams from even approaching him with a contract offer. That’s if they use the exclusive franchise tag.
Third, there’s truly no reason a deal shouldn’t get done. The Colts value Pittman, and he’s been one of the most productive wide receivers in franchise history to begin a career.
General manager Chris Ballard had no issues telling the media how he feels about Pittman.
“I care deeply about him. We have a really good relationship. It’s an honest one – almost too honest I think sometimes. But that’s what I love about him. The guy is competitive. He’s tough. He cares. He wants to win. We’re going to work to get him back. We’ll work through that. I know we’re going to have a few free agents you’re all going to want to talk about, and I’m probably going to give you the same answer. I would like to have them all back, but it doesn’t work that way. It’s just the nature of what we do. Pitt is a good football player for us, and hopefully he still remains a Colt.”
The Colts are the only team that can negotiate with Pittman until the legal tampering period opens March 11, so there’s plenty of time for a deal to get done.
We’ll keep you updated on the latest news regarding those contract talks between the Colts and their star wide receiver.
Here are five reasons the Colts missed the playoffs in 2023.
Playoffs weren’t even a thought for those outside of the Indianapolis Colts organization heading into the 2023 season.
But thanks to Shane Steichen’s coaching, the team had a chance to crack into the postseason late in the campaign. However, they came up short in their Week 18 matchup against the Houston Texans.
The reasons why they missed a chance for a Super Bowl run aren’t as negative as it was for this franchise a year ago, but there are still factors on why they found themselves on the outside looking in.
Resolving these issues will be key for the Colts moving forward if they want to compete starting in 2024.
Here are five reasons why the Colts missed the playoffs in 2023:
These Colts exceeded expectations in 2023.
The Indianapolis Colts were one win away from competing in the playoffs but instead find themselves sitting at home with the majority of the league preparing for the 2024 offseason.
Even though it was a decent surprise the Colts were in a position to compete for a playoff spot considering the amount of injuries along with the addition of a rookie head coach working with a backup quarterback, there were plenty of bright spots who helped get Indy to that position.
Here are six Colts who exceeded expectations during the 2023 season:
Checking out the Colts’ best and worst PFF grades from 2023.
Following a surprisingly successful but simultaneously disappointing end to the 2023 season for the Indianapolis Colts, it’s time to take a look back at the top grades from the campaign that was.
Courtesy of Pro Football Focus, the Colts’ highest overall grade on either side of the ball belonged to right tackle Braden Smith, who posted an offensive grade of 83.3. On defense, edge rusher Samson Ebukam led the unit with an overall grade of 84.4. This is using 170 snaps played as the minimum requirement.
The worst grade on offense was owned by offensive tackle Blake Freeland, who finished his rookie season with a 44.2 grade. Defensive tackle Eric Johnson II finished the season with a 30.5 overall grade, the lowest of any player meeting the 170-snap threshold.
Now, a look at the best and worst overall PFF grades for the Colts in 2023:
Handing out awards for the 2023 Colts.
The 2023 season ended in disappointing fashion for the Indianapolis Colts, but there are plenty of reasons to be excited for the future given what they showed throughout the campaign.
Considering where the Colts were just one year ago at this time, the outlook of the franchise is far more positive. They have a strong leader in Shane Steichen, a young quarterback in Anthony Richardson who shows promise, and some solid pieces to work off of this offseason.
But before we get into the thick of the offseason plans and predictions, it’s time to take a look back at the 2023 season and hand out some awards.
From MVP to the biggest disappointment, here are the Colts’ year-end awards from the 2023 campaign:
Here are the important offseason dates for the Colts in 2024.
The offseason for the Indianapolis Colts has officially arrived after they wrapped up their 2023 season narrowly missing a playoff bid.
With an intriguing quarterback looking to bounce back from a season-ending injury, plenty of salary-cap space and a full slate of picks in the 2024 NFL draft, the Colts will have the ammo to work with in order to make some key additions.
While the team can sign players to contract extensions and future contracts, the majority of moves will not be made until the new league year begins in March. There’s a good chance they sign a handful of their own pending free agents before then, though, so that will be something to monitor over the next month and a half.
Using NFL Operations page as the reference, here are the important dates for the Colts during the 2024 offseason:
Here are the biggest takeaways from the Colts’ 2023 season.
The 2023 season for the Indianapolis Colts might not have ended how they would have liked but with the perspective of how this team was viewed prior to the season opener, this year should be viewed as a success for the franchise.
It was just back in August that the front office was in a testy contract negotiation with Jonathan Taylor. There were question marks around how the offense would look with Anthony Richardson and how the first-year quarterback would perform.
Then there was the worry about how the defense would look with a young secondary. A concern that did pop up as an issue throughout the season. Fast forward to the end of the year, Shane Steichen had his team on the cusp of a playoff berth despite missing Richardson for most of the year, JT being in and out of the lineup because of contract talks and a thumb injury, and a defense that got exploited at times because of the youth and injuries to the cornerback position.
The future is bright in Indianapolis with Steichen leading the way but before we turn the page, let’s take a look at the five biggest takeaways from the 2023 season:
