Stampede Blue
Indianapolis, IN — The Indianapolis Colts haven’t made a big-time trade for a proven player since bringing in quarterback Matt Ryan ahead of the 2022-23 season. The subsequent season devolved into even more dysfunction than the previous year had left it, resulting in a clean slate entirely — well, one with an asterisk.
After four straight seasons of band-aids thrown into the fray, this constant turnover proved not to be a worthwhile endeavor. Instead, the late great Jim Irsay gave the Ballard regime a second chance. From that point forward, Chris Ballard and Co. would be entrusted to use the then-upcoming 4th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to right the ship with a new quarterback for years to come, as well as a fresh face leading the charge. We all know how the Anthony Richardson experiment has gone, and that this is the Daniel Jones-led Colts, so no need to rehash old wounds.
Ballard’s shortcomings in Indianapolis have resulted in newfound managerial tactics, never-before-seen antics that had people questioning if the real Chris Ballard had been kidnapped. Not only did Ballard fork over regime-record deals to three separate big fish free agents (QB Daniel Jones, CB Charvarius Ward, S Camryn Bynum) during the offseason, but he’s shown a willingness to forego his otherwise overvalued loyalty and cut players, while also doing the same as it pertains to adding veterans with tread still left on their tires (G Mark Glowinski latter half of 2024; Xavien Howard in 2025) to a needy position room — something he wouldn’t have considered in recent years.
Furthermore, cap-wise, the Colts have also shown a recent willingness to prorate and restructure contracts as a move to lessen the current cap hit. For example, the aforementioned big fish signings of defensive backs Charvarius Ward and Camryn Bynum are back-ended to provide breathing room in the current year. Both players’ cap hits increase year-over-year, going from $7M and $9M cap hits in 2025 to sporting $15M and $20M cap hits in 2026, increasing so on and so forth. This muddies the waters of the future, but also gives financial flexibility in the present, which was otherwise not an option in past years of the Ballard era. Additionally, a recent offseason contract restructure with longtime tackle Braden Smith adds to the proof that Ballard’s ways have changed — for the better.
This newly established operation, coupled with the recent success, leads me directly into what I think could truly unlock this Colts defense: trading for an established, superstar pass rusher in Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
All summer long, Trey Hendrickson’s contract disputes with the Cincinnati Bengals remained at the forefront of NFL news cycles. As a byproduct of his former defensive coordinator, Lou Anarumo, leaving for a new gig in Indianapolis, the Colts were regularly linked as a potential suitor. Before the regular season got here, I deemed this potential pairing to be a lazy one based on the obvious ties in place. I viewed it...
