Last offseason, the Indianapolis Colts had multiple significant in-house free agents, who ended up being their main focus. One of them was star wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., whom the team used the franchise tag on.
Ultimately, Pittman Jr. and the Colts agreed to a new three-year contract, and he never played on the tag. And it's officially that time of year again, with the player rumored to receive the 2025 franchise tag being Cincinnati Bengals WR Tee Higgins.
The Colts won't have to worry about the stress that comes with considering the franchise tag on an in-house free agent this offseason
While the franchise tag helps teams prevent key roster members from hitting the open market, it does create headaches for both the players and the teams. Once the tag is used, if a new deal isn't struck, trade rumors begin to run rampant for that player. Take Tee Higgins, for example; his name has been involved in trade rumors for about a year after the Bengals first used the tag on the WR last offseason.
The Colts aren't a team that typically utilizes the franchise tag. Before using it on Pittman Jr. last offseason, the last time the team used it was on punter Pat McAfee in 2013. This offseason, the Colts don't have an in-house free agent that should warrant them considering using the franchise tag. Below are the team's most notable free agents and how expensive the franchise tag is at their respective positions for 2025.
Notable Colts 2025 Free Agents and the price to use the franchise tag on them:
- Will Fries, G: $25,156,000.00
- Dayo Odeyingbo, DE: 24,727,000.00
- Ryan Kelly, C: $25,156,000.00
- Julian Blackmon, S: $19,626,000.00
- E.J. Speed, LB: $27,050,000.00
