The Indianapolis Colts clearly believe in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. The team has to. Giving up on a newly-hired head coach or coordinator after one season means something horrible has happened. Anarumo wasn't going to be fired after 2025.
But his long-term job security should have always been in question. Statistically, his defenses when he was the Cincinnati Bengals DC for six seasons before coming to Indy this past offseason were nowhere near elite. Five of those years, the defense ranked 17th or worse in points allowed. So far in 2025, Anarumo's Colts D is seventh.
But that is a bit misleading. Because of injuries in the secondary and terrible pass coverage over the middle of the field, but not having to face many top offenses, Indianapolis has been able to get by. That changes in the second half of the season.
Sauce Gardner might also help save Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's job
But ahead of Week 10, Anarumo was just handed a massive gift by general manager Chris Ballard. Indianapolis traded for New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, one of the best players at his position since he entered the league in 2022. Gardner makes a banged-up and overperforming CB group, and makes them one of the better ones in the league.
Gardner is great. Slot corner Kenny Moore II is very good. Offseason free agent signee Charvarius Ward is also capable of being fantastic. Most teams do not have a trio nearly that good.
In fact, the group, as well as depth pieces like Jaylon Jones, should improve the pass rush, too. Not because they will be used on blitzes much and chase down quarterbacks, but because their sticky coverage gives players such as Laiatu Latu and Kwity Paye more time to get home.
Lou Anarumo has all the pieces he needs to succeed. The question is whether he will.
Anarumo has had great pieces to work with before, such as Trey Hendrickson in Cincy. What he hasn't had is the amount of talent on one unit that Indianapolis now has. If Anarumo cannot get his defense to be almost as big a reason that the Colts win games as the offense is, someone else would. He has no excuses to having a good unit, and Ballard knows that.
Thinking positively, though, the Indianapolis Colts obviously have faith in Lou Anarumo, and he could prove worthy of that faith over the second half of the season. Sauce Gardner is going to help. The defense is ready to succeed.