Indianapolis Colts sign LB Tahj Chambers

Tahj Chambers' three-year, $3.11M deal with the Indianapolis Colts earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI) — a fair-market signing that reflects the realities of the bottom tier of the NFL's linebacker market rather than any kind of creative front-office coup. At a $1.04M AAV, this is effectively a minimum-wage roster bet, the kind of contract teams hand out when they're adding depth without committing meaningful cap resources. The CVI reflects that Chambers profiles as a replacement-level to roster-filler contributor at this stage of his career — someone competing for a spot on the back end of the depth chart rather than a player expected to crack a starting lineup. Where the contract structure does raise a flag is in the near-total lack of guarantees: just $20K secured on a three-year deal is essentially nothing, meaning Indianapolis holds virtually all the leverage and Chambers is one poor camp performance away from being a cap non-issue. That structure actually protects the Colts from any real downside risk, which is why this doesn't grade out worse — the exposure is negligible. For a franchise that finished 8-9 and is 124 days from the 2026 regular season opener, adding low-cost depth in the offseason is standard roster-building hygiene, and this move fits that profile exactly. The CVI lands at C+ because the deal is priced appropriately for what Chambers likely is, but there's nothing here that moves the needle for Indianapolis.