Indianapolis Colts free agent safety Nick Cross is signing with a new team.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Cross is signing a two-year deal worth up to $14 million to join the Washington Commanders.
Why didn’t the Colts re-sign Nick Cross?
Cross has started at strong safety for the Colts the last tw seasons. Both years he has graded out well as a run defender, and in 2025, he was utilized much more often as a blitzer.
By PFF’s metrics, Cross’ production in coverage took a step back in 2025. However, ESPN’s Aaron Schatz wrote this offseason that Cross performed well in coverage by his DVOA metric.
With the Colts signing Cam Bynum to a big deal last offseason, they’ve recently invested fairly heavily into the safety position. So when it comes to allocating resources this offseason, there are more pressing needs to address, like linebacker and defensive end.
Also, with Cross’ deal with Washington not breaking the bank by any means, that tells us that the Colts may have just been ready to move on.
The team also seems to be quite bullish on second-year safety Hunter Wohler, even though he missed his rookie season due to injury.
Cross finished his Colts career appearing in 68 games, which includes making 37 starts. He recorded 12 pass deflections, 3.5 sacks, and five interceptions, along with 322 total tackles.
(This article will be updated.)
