Nick Cross Leaves Colts for Commanders, Opening Safety Competition

As the free agency feeding frenzy continues, the Indianapolis Colts are losing a key piece of their secondary, but the bigger question is how they plan to replace him.

Free agent safety Nick Cross has agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $14 million with the Washington Commanders, according to a report from NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. The deal was finalized on Wednesday as Washington continued an aggressive defensive spending spree in free agency.

Free agent safety Nick Cross is going to the #Commanders, per The Insiders, as they continue to add. It's a 2-year deal worth up to $14M done by @WinSportsGroup. pic.twitter.com/kU8HKbdwoM
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2026

For Indianapolis, Cross’s departure removes the team’s starting strong safety from the past two seasons and leaves a noticeable hole next to free safety Cam Bynum. It also forces the Colts to answer a familiar roster-building question this offseason: solve the position internally or attack it through the draft.

Cross originally arrived in Indianapolis as a third-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Maryland. After a developmental start to his career, he eventually grew into a full-time starter and became a reliable presence in the box.

His 2025 season was the most productive of his career. Cross recorded 120 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and an interception while serving primarily as a downhill run defender and blitz option in the Colts’ defensive structure.

The physicality he brought near the line of scrimmage helped balance a secondary that lacked that element all year. In many ways, Cross filled the exact role teams want from a modern strong safety — physical in run support while still holding up in coverage responsibilities on the back end.

With Cross now in Washington, that role becomes one of the more intriguing open competitions on the Colts roster.

Cam Bynum remains firmly locked in as the team’s starting free safety after signing a significant deal last offseason. His deep coverage ability and communication in the secondary make him the clear anchor of the unit heading into 2026.

Cam Bynum celebrates his INT with the Colts mascot “Blue” right after 😭😭pic.twitter.com/UTwM3Yua32
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 14, 2025

The strong safety position, however, is wide open.

Second-year safety Hunter Wohler is a name worth watching closely. The 2025 rookie missed his entire debut season after suffering a Lisfranc injury, but the Colts were high on his versatility coming out of the draft and view him as a potential box defender with starting upside.

Beyond Wohler, the current roster includes Trey Washington, Daniel Scott, and depth options like Reuben Lowrey, all of whom could compete for rotational snaps. None of those players, however, has the same level of starting experience that Cross brought over the last two seasons.

That uncertainty is why the 2026 NFL Draft suddenly becomes extremely relevant for Indianapolis.

The safety class entering this year’s draft is widely considered one of the deeper groups in recent memory, with multiple prospects who fit the physical profile the Colts typically target. With Indianapolis holding the No. 47 overall pick in the second round, the position lines up well with the range where several impact safeties are expected to come off the board.

AJ Haulcy’s gauntlet looked better than half of today’s WRs pic.twitter.com/310886sizT
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) March 1, 2026

Names like LSU’s A.J. Haulcy, USC’s Kamari Ramsey, and Arizona's Genesis Smith all project as potential Day 2 options who could step into a role similar to the one Cross held.

Free agency could still offer Indianapolis a path to reinforce the position. The safety market remains relatively deep, but after several active days of signings across the league, many of the top names have already come off the board.

One remaining option is former Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker. The 26-year-old has built a reputation as a physical downhill defender capable of playing in the box or rotating into deeper coverage.

Chris Ballard has historically preferred building the secondary through the draft rather than overspending in free agency. If that philosophy holds, Cross leaving for Washington may simply accelerate the Colts’ timeline to find the next young starter next to Bynum.

With Cross gone, the strong safety position is suddenly one of the more open competitions on the Colts’ roster. How Indianapolis fills that role next to Cam Bynum will be one of the more interesting developments of the offseason.

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