Maybe Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard simply doesn't know how to choose edge rushers in the second round. Ascending second-year player Jaylahn Tuimoloau is trending toward being a bust. One could argue that 2021 second-rounder Dayo Odeyingbo was too.
Chicago Bears fans probably wouldn't argue with that. The edge rusher signed with Chicago last offseason for three years and as much as $48 million, even though Odeyingbo hadn't really done very much for Indy in four seasons. Chicago hoped for the best, but they got the worst. So far.
To be fair to the Colts, even they didn't fully trust Ballard's choice for a while. The edge rusher didn't start, but five games total in his first three seasons. He was a solid pass rusher in his third year, accumulating eight sacks, but when given the chance to be a full-time starter in 2024, he flopped.
Former Indianapolis Colts bust Dayo Odeyingbo is turning into a bust for the Chicago Bears too
Odeyingbo only had three sacks and seven tackles for loss that season, even though his snap percentage went from 53 percent the year before to 64 percent, a career high, in 2024. The risk didn't pay off, and the edge rusher was part of the reason the team decided to change defensive coordinators.
Why the Bears ever decided to pay the Vanderbilt product so much money is anyone's guess. Desperation maybe? Whatever the reason, the former Colts player got paid to not do very much last season. He appeared in only eight games, had just one sack, two tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits. He was a dismal disappointment.
To make matters worse for the Bears, they structured the player's contract so that he gets a guaranteed salary of $15.5 million in 2026. Whatever they were thinking should be reviewed by ownership, as it is ownership that is ultimately signing Dayo Odeyingbo's checks.
The edge rusher also suffered an injury last year. Not to give Indianapolis Colts fans a bit of PTSD in relation to quarterback Daniel Jones, but Odeyingbo hurt his Achilles tendon in Week 9. The difference was that Jones was actually good in the first half of last season, and the former Colts player was atrocious with his new team in Chicago.
The hope is that the former stays true. That Daniel Jones comes back by Week 1 and plays an entire season as he did the first half of last year. The team should reach the playoffs if that happens.
As for the Chicago Bears and Dayo Odeyingbo, that's their problem. They are the ones who chose to overpay for the edge rusher. Maybe he will tick up in form, but that isn't any concern of an Indy fan.
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