The Indianapolis Colts entered the offseason with major needs in the pass-rushing department. They were reportedly in the mix to make a run at Trey Hendrickson, but were either unable or unwilling to meet the Baltimore Ravens' offer for his services.
With him no longer available, general manager Chris Ballard turned to the division for help, signing former Tennessee Titans edge rusher Arden Key. Of course, that's a significant drop off from Hendrickson, but he's still a proven contributor who can give defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo some help.
With Laiatu Latu locked to start on one side of the defensive line, Key will now have to beat Jaylahn Tuimoloau for the other starting spot. When asked about that, he shared a simple yet effective blueprint for doing so, while revealing that he's actually been training with DeForest Buckner for a while.
'Consistent' Arden Key has Indianapolis Colts great DeForest Bucker's stamp of approval
“Consistency, that’s it. The most consistent guy will win the job. That’s just what it is in this league,“ Key said. “... Like I've been training with Buck (DeForest Buckner) the last five years, and every year we just talk about ‘What if we played together, what if we did this,’ and now I’m actually here."
Of course, it takes much more than name-dropping the team's best defensive player to secure a job, but that's definitely a strong start. He already knows what makes Buckner tick, his playing style, and might be a seamless fit next to him.
Besides working out with the Colts' star, Key is more than familiar with the AFC South's dynamics. He's played for both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Titans, and while he's been mostly a rotational player throughout the course of his career, he may finally be in for a big role in Anarumo's system.
Key has made 116 appearances (46 starts), logging 192 total tackles, 96 QB hits, 39 tackles for loss, 30.5 sacks, eight passes defensed, four forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. And if he can bring consistent effort and production into training camp, Tuimoloau might be in for a rude awakening.
In an ideal scenario, Tuimoloau will take a big leap after a disappointing rookie campaign. He dealt with some injuries and was stuck behind multiple veterans in the pecking order, so it's clearly too early to count him out. He was a projected first-round pick at one point, and he may just need more time to get it together.
But if he's still not up to speed and Key brings his A-game, it wouldn't be much of a surprise to see him beat the 2025 draft pick for the starting spot. This unit must be better in 2026, and the job should be for whoever wants it the most, regardless of draft pedigree or previous experience.
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