One of the biggest needs for the Indianapolis Colts is at linebacker. The team made a series of good moves in this year's draft, most notably with landing Penn State TE Tyler Warren, but they failed to sign a linebacker.
This was a surprise to many fans and analysts; the linebacker position is one of their most urgent needs, but instead, the Colts prioritized other positions on defense. That means the Colts needed to find a linebacker in free agency.
Currently, all Indianapolis has is Zaire Franklin. While Franklin is an excellent linebacker, having been named to the Pro Bowl and as second-team All-Pro, he is the only real playmaker the Colts have. Both E.J. Speed and Grant Stuard signed with other teams in free agency, leaving only Franklin and Jaylon Carlies. And while Carlies has potential, he is young and has had issues staying healthy. So at the absolute least, the Colts need more depth at this position.
Enter Joe Bachie.
Indianapolis reunites Lou Anarumo with a Bengals favorite
The Colts announced today that they signed Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Joe Bachie, a free agent who previously saw time with the Philadelphia Eagles and the New Orleans Saints. He played in college at Michigan State before being signed in 2020 by the Saints as an undrafted free agent. He ultimately landed in Cincinnati in 2021, where he initially was placed on the practice squad, and worked his way onto the active roster.
Bachie has been a huge asset on special teams for the Bengals, and his resume shows that there could be potential there. In his career, he has racked up 37 tackles (23 solo), one pass defensed, one special teams tackle,and 11 special teams stops, while also playing in three playoff games. He had the second most special teams snaps of any Bengals player since the start of 2021, and often received praise from Lou Anarumo.
It seems unlikely that Bachie will steal the starting spot from Carlies, but it's entirely possible, given that he is more familiar with Anarumo, and the theme of 2025 for the Colts seems to be competition.