The Colts have to decide on at least three players in the back end of their defense. But all of them have injury concerns. But Farley might have the most upside.
Matthias Farley has played for the Colts for three years now after playing college ball at Notre Dame. He has gotten a decent amount of playing time, but always seems to end up hurt. That has been robbing him of some pretty good production while he has been out there.
Farley only played in five games this season, but had 19 tackles, a forced fumble, and a pick. He seems to always be near the ball to make the right play at the right time. The Colts need someone like that in the back end of their secondary.
But, as mentioned before, Farley has problems staying on the field. He missed 11 games this season and missed one last season. In three years, he has only played 54% of his potential games. Availability is huge, especially when you are fighting two other guys for playing time.
Because of that injury history, it might be tough for the Colts to keep him around. He is still young at only 26 years old, but the Colts might opt to get someone else who has proven that they can stay on the field. Farley’s potential is what might keep him on the roster.
Farley has a total of 3 interceptions and two forced fumbles in his career, and he had 95 tackles last season. That kind of production doesn’t just grow on trees, and very few young players produce like that. Because of this, I would bet on Farley returning next season.
Chris Ballard has stated he wants depth at every position, so re-signing Farley would at the very least do that at safety. He should stay in Indy for at least a couple more years to see if he can develop and stay healthy.