To be sure, Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman Adetomiwa Adebawore is far from a perfect player. He came pretty close to that in Week 3, though, as he helped Indy defeat the Houston Texans to snap the Colts' nine-game losing streak.
Indianapolis doesn't need Adebawore to become an elite run-stopper, as he doesn't appear to have the skill set to do that. What he can do well is get pressure on opposing quarterbacks. In 2025, he had 34 total pressures, a huge jump from what he did in his first two seasons. He had two more in Week 2 this season, but Week 3 was special.
In just 15 snaps, 13 of them coming on passing downs, Adebawore had four pressures and 1.5 sacks. He was nearly unstoppable when quarterback C.J. Stroud dropped back to throw. While the Indy defensive lineman didn't record a tackle (he has only one tackle this season and missed on two), that wasn't what he was needed to do.
Adetomiwa Adebawore was a star for the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3
He was put in the game to make Stroud nervous, and he did just that. While Adebawore has struggled in every other area of the game in his career, he has been magnificent as a pass rusher. In the right system, he could have close to 10 sacks, and maybe he is able to do that this season.
After all, the Indianapolis Colts offense looked lost in the first two games, but in Week 3 allowed only 223 yards and 4.4 yards per play. The Texans were just four-for-11 on third down, and throughout the game, the defensive line was dominating Houston's offensive line. A lot of that was due to DeForest Buckner, who is having a tremendous season, but Adebawore was a big part too.
The timing for Adebawore to be excellent couldn't be better for the player, either. The 2023 fourth-round pick is a free agent after this season. He didn't get much of a chance to play in his first two seasons, saw a lot more reps in 2025, and should get more throughout this season. At least, based on how unblockable he was in Week 3.
Adetomiwa Adebawore's best games might come when the season is in the make-or-break stage. The next few games, like the one in Week 4 when Indianapolis travels to London to take on the Washington Commanders, will have the Colts facing teams that like to run the ball.
In the second half of the season, though, Indy will take on more teams that like to throw. That includes the Jacksonville Jaguars twice, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Dallas Cowboys. Indianapolis is still just 1-2 and must make the postseason for key personnel to keep their jobs after this season, but Adebawore's pass-rush ability could positively impact how the season ends.
He is an excellent pass-rusher, and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo should give Adebawore more reps because of that. Getting quarterback pressure on nearly a third of his pass-rush snaps in Week 3 is proof of that.
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