3 Colts defenders who could end their Indy careers in final month

2. Al-Quadin Muhammad

While Paye has been starting as long as he’s been healthy, Muhammad was on the other side of the defensive line while Odeyingbo recovered from his injury. Now that the Vanderbilt alum has returned to full health, Muhammad might see his playing time start to take a concerning dip.

While Muhammad did play 85% of snaps against Tampa Bay, Muhammad’s playing time went down every game from Weeks 7 through 11. 34 tackles and three sacks are some of the best individual numbers that Muhammad has put up in his career, but do they warrant another contract in Indianapolis?

Will Al-Quadin Muhammad be back in 2022?

Paye is a defensive cornerstone with a sack in each of his last three games and a history of defending the run well. He isn’t going to go anywhere. Odeyingbo has plenty of pass rush skills that could explode if given the right diet of snaps, making it tough to retain Muhammad.

While Muhammad has started every game this season, his production has been average at best. With two rookies breathing down his next and plenty of premium draft picks that could be used on his replacement, Muhammad needs multiple impactful plays every week to remain in Indy’s 2022 plans.