How are Indianapolis Colts Spending Their Money in the NFL?
The Indianapolis Colts are an Indianapolis-based professional American football club. The Indianapolis Colts are a member of the American Football Conference South division of the National Football League. Following the 1970 merger, they were one of three NFL clubs to join those of the American Football League to establish the AFC.
The Colts made the playoffs 10 times in Baltimore and won three NFL Championship games in 1958, 1959, and 1968. The Baltimore Colts appeared in two Super Bowls, losing in Super Bowl III to the New York Jets and winning in Super Bowl V against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984 and have made the playoffs sixteen times since then, winning two conference titles and appearing in two Super Bowls. Here we take a look at their positional spending in the NFL as compared to other teams.
Indianapolis Colts – Spending in NFL
| Position | Cap Hit (in millions) | League Rank | League Average ( in millions) | Differential (in millions) | Percentage of Total Cap | League Average Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | $20.27 | 15 | $19.4 | $0.87 | 9.25% | 9.3% |
| RB/FB | $10.35 | 19 | $11.8 | $-1.45 | 4.72% | 5.66% |
| TE | $10.46 | 15 | $11.3 | $-0.84 | 4.77% | 5.42% |
| WR | $13.9 | 30 | $24.1 | $-10.2 | 6.34% | 11.56% |
| OL | $47.64 | 6 | $38 | $9.64 | 21.73% | 18.23% |
| DL | $53.72 | 4 | $35.8 | $17.92 | 24.51% | 17.17% |
| LB | $22.32 | 21 | $25.9 | $-3.58 | 10.18% | 12.42% |
| DBs | $35.57 | 13 | $35.8 | $-0.23 | 16.23% | 17.17% |
| ST | $4.99 | 26 | $6.6 | $-1.61 | 2.27% | 3.17% |
| Total | $219.21 | 10 | $208.5 | $10.71 | ||
| Dead Money | $6.81 | 28 | $20.21 | $-13.39 | ||
| Cap Space | $12.73 | 8 | $10.25 | $2.48 |
The Colts have wasted a lot of money in free agency over the last five years under Ballard. Indy had about $55 million in cap space in Ballard’s first offseason and spent over $94 million on 16 free agents.
In the last four offseasons, the Colts haven’t come close to matching those figures. In 2018, Indianapolis generated a bit more than $72 million in revenue and spent $50 million. Indy had a little over $63 million in cap space the last offseason and spent just under $44 million in free agency. Indy must stop saving money and pursuing less expensive paths if it is to reverse its fate. The Colts will have to open their pocketbook if they want to improve and challenge for a Super Bowl.
