Colts' Mekhi Blackmon: Bounces back after ACL tear
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Blackmon finished the regular season with 64 tackles (50 solo), including 1.0 sacks, along with seven defensed passes (including two interceptions) over 17 games.
Blackmon didn't play at all for the Vikings in 2024 while recovering from a torn ACL. He was acquired by the Colts in late August and stayed healthy throughout the campaign, appearing in all 17 of Indianapolis' contests and making 11 starts. Blackmon finished fifth on the Colts in total tackles and tied for third in defensed passes, establishing himself as a key part of the team's defense. He'll be in the final year of his rookie contract next season.
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Colts' Camryn Bynum: Productive first season with Indy
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Bynum recorded 81 tackles (50 solo), including 1.0 sacks, eight pass breakups, including four interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery across 17 regular-season games in 2025.
Bynum signed a four-year, $60 million deal with the Colts last offseason and lived up to his contract in his first season with the team. He started all 17 contests, logging 95 percent of the defensive snaps, and picked off a career-high four passes. Bynum has started all 68 regular-season games across the past four seasons and will once again man a safety spot for Indianapolis next season.
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Colts' Kwity Paye: Sack numbers take hit in 2025
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Paye recorded 39 tackles (15 solo), including 4.0 sacks, and one pass breakup across 17 regular-season games in 2025.
Paye started 16 of his 17 appearances, but his sack numbers took a hit. After recording 6.0, 8.5 and 8.0 sacks over the previous three seasons, Paye's 4.0 sacks in 2025 tied a career-low, which he set as a 2021 rookie. He was one of the league's least-effective edge rushers but does play solid run defense. The 27-year-old is scheduled to be a free agent this offseason after spending the first five years of his career in Indianapolis following his selection at No. 21 overall in the 2021 Draft.
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Colts' Kenny Moore: Logs 55 tackles in 2025
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Moore recorded 55 tackles (34 solo), including 1.5 sacks, six pass breakups, including one interception, and two forced fumbles across 14 regular-season contests in 2025.
After starting all 15 games he played in last season, logging 98 percent of the defensive snaps, Moore started just seven of his 14 appearances in 2025 and played just 76 percent of the defensive snaps in those contests. With Charvarius Ward (concussion) and Sauce Gardner (calf) new to the team this season, Moore stuck to more of a sub-package role as the Colts' slot cornerback. Now 30 years old, Moore dealt with calf, Achilles and ankle issues during the 2025 campaign. The veteran is under contract through 2026 but could be a cut candidate due to his $9.49 million salary and $13.2 million cap number. The Colts can save more than $7 million in cap space by releasing Moore.
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Colts' Nick Cross: Ends season with six tackles
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Cross made six tackles (three solo) during Sunday's 38-30 season-finale loss to the Texans.
Cross suited up for all 17 regular-season games for a third consecutive year, recording 120 tackles (72 solo), including a career-high 2.5 sacks. He also had five passes defensed, including one interception, and one forced fumble. The 2022 third-round pick is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
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Colts' Laiatu Latu: Career-high 8.5 sacks in 2025
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Latu recorded 45 tackles (27 solo), including 8.5 sacks, five pass breakups, including three interceptions, and one forced fumble across 16 regular-season games in 2025.
Latu was the 15th overall pick in the 2024 Draft and started just one of 17 games in which he appeared as a rookie, finishing 12th in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting after producing 4.0 sacks. Latu, however, became a full-time starter this season, starting all 16 games he played in, seeing the field on 68 percent of the Colts' defensive snaps. The 25-year-old will be back next season to help key Indianapolis' pass rush.
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Colts' Germaine Pratt: Set for free agency
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Pratt made five tackles (two solo) during Sunday's 38-30 season-finale loss to the Texans.
Pratt began the 2025 campaign with Las Vegas, where he totaled 25 tackles (10 solo) and two passes defensed before being cut. He quickly linked up with Indianapolis, logging another 12 regular-season appearances and compiling 101 tackles (57 solo), four passes defensed (including one interception), plus one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. The veteran linebacker is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
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Colts' Zaire Franklin: Double-digit tackles in finale
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Franklin tallied 12 tackles (seven solo) during Sunday's 38-30 season-finale loss to the Texans.
Franklin struggled in 2025, as despite suiting up for all 17 regular-season games, his total of 125 tackles (62 solo), including 2.0 sacks, represents a notable decline after he had surpassed 165 tackles in each of the prior three seasons. The 32-year-old also had five passes defensed and one forced fumble in 2025. Franklin has two seasons remaining his three-year, $31.3 million contract with the Colts, but the team has a potential "out" this offseason for only $2.5 million in dead cap.
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Colts' Austin Ajiake: Inks one-year extension with Indy
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The Colts signed Ajiake to a one-year contract extension Monday.
Ajiake was signed by the Colts in mid-September after initially failing to crack the 53-man roster at the end of training camp. He ended up appearing in 16 regular-season games and accumulated 32 tackles (13 solo), including 0.5 sacks, while contributing on both defense and special teams. Ajiake will aim to impress the coaching staff during OTAs, minicamp and training camp in order to earn a larger role for himself in 2026.
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Colts' Charvarius Ward: Considering retirement
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Ward (concussion) said after Sunday's game that he is considering retirement due to lingering concussion symptoms, Nathan Brown reports.
The eighth-year pro suffered his third concussion of the season in Week 14 against Jacksonville, which ultimately caused him to miss the Colts' final four games of the season. This adds to the previous six games Ward missed due to concussions in Week 1 and Week 6. The 29-year-old mentioned debilitating headaches and lingering symptoms factoring in his possible retirement decision, saying, "If I walk away, I won't regret it." Ward has 460 tackles (338 solo), including 1.0 sacks, 77 pass breakups, with 10 interceptions, and three forced fumbles through his career.
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Colts' Cameron Mitchell: Exits with calf injury
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Mitchell is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Texans due to a calf injury, Jane Slater of NFL Network reports.
Mitchell is being evaluated by medical staff to determine whether he can return for the second half of Sunday's contest. Johnathan Edwards is in line for more snaps at outside corner for as long as Mitchell is sidelined.
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Colts' Daniel Scott: Officially done for 2025
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Scott (knee) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Texans.
Scott was placed on injured reserve in early October due to a knee injury. His practice window opened in mid-December, but despite being a full participant in practice all week, the 2023 fifth-rounder will be sidelined for Sunday's regular-season finale. Scott logged two solo tackles across four regular-season games while contributing mostly on special teams and will aim to be fully healthy for the 2026 campaign.
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Colts' Sauce Gardner: Remaining sidelined Sunday
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Gardner (calf) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Texans, Amanda Foster of the Colts' official site reports.
The Cincinnati product aggravated his calf injury in the Week 17 loss to the Jaguars and didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday, so it's no surprise he'll be sidelined Sunday. Gardner appeared in 11 games with the Jets and Colts in 2025, recording 36 total tackles and nine passes defensed. Mekhi Blackmon and Johnathan Edwards will likely operate as Indianapolis' top boundary corners while Gardner is out Week 18.
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Colts' JT Tuimoloau: Past oblique injury
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Tuimoloau (oblique) was a full participant in Thursday's practice.
Tuimoloau was unable to play against the Jaguars in Week 17 due to an oblique injury. His ability to practice in full indicates that he's past the injury and will be available for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Texans. The rookie second-rounder has logged 16 tackles (six solo) through the first 12 regular-season games of his NFL career.
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Colts' Zaire Franklin: Under the weather
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Franklin (illness) did not participate in Thursday's practice.
Franklin is battling through an illness that caused him to miss Thursday's practice and puts him in jeopardy of missing the Colts' regular-season finale against the Texans on Sunday. Buddy Johnson and Segun Olubi would be the top candidates to start at linebacker if Franklin is unable to suit up in Week 18.
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Colts' Sauce Gardner: Deemed DNP to begin Week 18
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Gardner (calf) is estimated as a non-participant on Wednesday's practice report.
Gardner has been dealing with a calf issue for all of December. He was able to return from a three-game absence this past Sunday against Jacksonville, but the talented cornerback aggravated the injury. Given the lingering nature of the issue and the fact the Colts are out of playoff contention, it wouldn't be surprising if Gardner were to sit out Week 18 against Houston on Sunday, though he'll have two more days to return to the practice field this week.
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Colts' Kenny Moore: Ties career high with 10 stops
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Moore logged 10 tackles (eight solo), including two stops for a loss, during the Colts' 23-17 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.
Moore finished Sunday's contest as the Colts' second-leading tackler behind Nick Cross (12). It was the seventh time in Moore's career that he has logged 10 tackles in a game, which is his career high. The veteran corner is up to 54 tackles (34 solo), including 1.5 sacks, six pass defenses (including a pick-six) and two forced fumbles across 13 regular-season games.
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Colts' Germaine Pratt: Makes key interception in red zone
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Pratt tallied seven tackles (five solo) and two pass defenses (one interception) during the Colts' 23-17 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.
Pratt recorded his first interception of the regular season late in the second quarter, when he picked off a pass from Trevor Lawrence intended for Parker Washington in the end zone, which resulted in a touchback. Pratt has been a key piece to the Colts' defense since joining the team in early October, and the 2019 third-rounder has logged 96 tackles (55 solo), eight pass defenses, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries across 11 regular-season games with Indianapolis. With the Colts eliminated from playoff contention, Pratt will look to finish the 2025 campaign strong against the Texans this Sunday.
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Colts' Nick Cross: Leads Indy with 12 stops
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Cross recorded 12 tackles (nine solo), including one stop for a loss, during the Colts' 23-17 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.
Cross and Camryn Bynum were the two Colts defenders to play all 69 defensive snaps, and it was the former who led the team in tackles. It was the second time this season Cross recorded double-digit stops in a game, and the fourth-year safety is up to 114 tackles (69 solo), including 2.5 sacks, five pass defenses (one interception) and one forced fumble through 16 regular-season games.
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Colts' Sauce Gardner: Questionable to return Sunday
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Gardner (calf) is questionable to return to Sunday's contest against the Jaguars.
Gardner may have aggravated his previous calf issue in the second half of the game, and his status for the rest of the contest is now up in the air. In his absence, Johnathan Edwards and Jaylon Jones will stand to see an increase in workload at cornerback.
