We are down to our last two opponent previews for the Dallas Cowboys 2026 schedule, and they both reside in the AFC South. It’s time now to look at the Indianapolis Colts, who come into 2026 having not made the playoffs since 2020. The pressure is on for both the Colts and Cowboys to get back to the playoffs this year.
The Colts have not had the same quarterback start the majority of their games for two consecutive seasons since 2013-14 with Andrew Luck, but will have a chance to do so in 2026 after
Daniel Jones started 13 games a year ago. Now, the question is whether or not the Colts will get the version of Jones that got them off to a 8-2 start last season, or the one that lost his next three starts after this before getting injured, leading to the losing streak lasting through the regular season for seven games total.
Shane Steichen’s team made a commitment to Jones as their starter with a new contract this offseason, so let’s look now at what else they’ve done to keep things going in a positive direction on both sides of the ball.
Colts Key Free Agent Signings/Departures
*SIGNED IN FREE AGENCY:
- DE Michael Clemons
- LB Akeem Davis-Gaither
- QB Daniel Jones (Re-signed)
- DE Arden Key
- DT Derrick Nnandi
- WR Keenan Allen
- SAF Jonathan Owens
- CB Cam Taylor-Britt
- TE Mo Alie-Cox (Re-signed)
- WR Alec Pierce (Re-signed)
- DT Jerry Tillery
- SAF Juanyeh Thomas
- WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
- WR Laquon Treadwell (Re-signed)
- DT Colby Woolen
*DEPARTED IN FREE AGENCY
- DE Kwity Paye
- OL Braden Smith
- SAF Nick Cross
- DL Neville Gallimore
- RB Ameer Abdullah
- LB Buddy Johnson
The Cowboys may take the cake when it comes to offensive continuity they’ve retained from 2025 going into the start of this new season, but the Colts are not far behind. The duo of Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor in the backfield is the starting point, but with the exception of trading away Michael Pittman Jr. at wide receiver, the Colts also have returning targets in TE Tyler Warren, WR Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce.
The constant QB shuffle has taken former first-round pick Quenton Nelson out of the mainstream conversation for best interior linemen in football, but Taylor matching a career high with 18 touchdowns in 2025 helped revive this, and now Nelson is joined by other experienced players like Bernhard Raimann and Matt Gonclaves.
The Cowboys will be no strangers to the style of play the Colts desire under Jones, looking to control the clock, win in the RPO game, and capitalize on field position, much like the best versions of the New York Giants when Jones was the starter there. The Colts are also looking more dangerous on defense as well though, going into year two of having Sauce Gardner at CB who was acquired in a midseason trade last year, Charvarius Ward at the other cornerback spot, loads of new faces at linebacker, and Deforest Buckner and Laiatu Latu going into year two as a formidable interior duo.
Indy is also well positioned to take advantage of the boom in tight end usage the league is seeing right now, with last year’s first-round pick Tyler Warren having a strong start to his career as a rookie. The sky is the limit for his potential in the pass game if Jones and the offensive line are healthy and playing in sync this season.
This division is no stranger to having teams win games with their defense, something the Titans leaned into by hiring Robert Saleh as head coach this offseason, the Texans are already the leaders of, and now the Colts will be looking to inch closer to if they want to avoid another late season collapse, paired with a strong run game to be an overall tougher outfit in ‘26.
Colts 2026 Draft Class
- Round 2, Pick 21 (53 Overall): LB CJ Allen
- Round 3, Pick 14 (78 Overall): SAF A.J. Haulcy
- Round 4, Pick 13 (113 Overall): G Jalen Farmer
- Round 4, Pick 35 (135 Overall): LB Bryce Boettcher
- Round 5, Pick 16 (156 Overall): DE George Gumbs Jr.
- Round 6, Pick 33 (214 Overall): DE Caden Curry
- Round 7, Pick 21 (237 Overall): RB Seth McGowan
- Round 7, Pick 38 (254 Overall): WR Deion Burks
When it comes to this year’s matchup against the Cowboys, linebacker may be the position to watch the most for both teams when it comes to how much of a makeover both sides have gone through on the second level of their defenses.
The Colts brought in Akeem Davis-Gaither in free agency and drafted CJ Allen and Bryce Boettcher to remake this group, getting more of a run defender in Allen and a coverage player in Boettcher. This has been a front seven not generally known for being the most physical or intimidating in any recent season, and without the benefit of a first-round pick the Colts did as good of a job as they could adding bodies to change this narrative.
George Gumbs Jr. is a very interesting pick in the fifth round, seen as one of the rawest prospects in this class but with high potential for any team that can help him take his game to the next level. The Colts have missed on athletic freaks like this before on defense, but this group has enough experience and talent now to at least be middle of the pack and allow their best overall player in Taylor to have his say in games out of the backfield.
2026 will be year two of the Lou Anarumo defensive system in Indianapolis, coming over from the Bengals where at the end of his tenure he was the face of a Cincy defense that couldn’t stop a cold, but previously had success implementing defenses that could support a high-octane offense like the Bengals.
Colts 2026 Coaching Staff
*New to staff this season:
- Defensive Line Marion Hobby
Head coach Shane Steichen will go into year four with the same offensive coordinator he started with in Jim Bob Cooter, and like we said a second year for Anarumo as DC. The belief the Colts front office has shown in this coaching staff for some extended period of time is admirable, but the clock is now ticking further on when it will yield better results.
Only having one new coach on this list is remarkable, and when the Colts put this to the test against the Cowboys, they’ll be attacking a defense that is the polar opposite from a coaching perspective in Dallas – with lots of new faces. While Cowboys fans are in agreement that all of these changes are for the better, the Colts will be a good test of all aspects of this defense when it comes to interior run, big play potential at RB, and the dual-threat game with Jones.
The Cowboys get this game as part of a two-game stretch they will likely need to take advantage of, at home for the Cardinals and then at the Colts. Similarly for the Colts, they come into this game off a divisional test at the Jaguars, then stay home to face the Dolphins, followed by another divisional game at the Texans. Whichever team comes out on top in this Sunday early window game will feel much better at this midpoint junction of the season.
Previous 2026 Opponent Previews:
Philadelphia Eagles
New York Giants
Seattle Seahawks
Arizona Cardinals
Baltimore Ravens
Washington Commanders
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans
Los Angeles Rams
San Francisco 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
