The Indianapolis Colts had a brutal 2025 season, as all fans know. The issue was that the team wasn't simply bad throughout the season, but that things started so well only to fall apart in the second half of the year. It was like losing an important game by a close score, which is worse than being blown out.
The team needs to get better in several areas in 2026 to try to make another playoff run, and that includes special teams, specifically in kick returns. The Colts allowed 28.8 yards per kickoff return, second-worst in the league. That meant opposing offenses often started with excellent field position, which obviously made the defense's job more difficult.
For that reason, one of the first moves Indianapolis made after the 2025 regular season ended was claiming linebacker John Bullock after he was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bullock is very unlikely to help much on defense, but he excelled in his first season in the league on kick and punt return assignments.
Indianapolis Colts claim linebacker John Bullock off waivers
In fact, while the linebacker only played six defensive snaps and did not record a statistic, he was involved in 252 reps on special teams. Interestingly, though, he didn't play past Week 16 when he was penalized twice.
The 6-foot, 230-pound undrafted free agent out of Nebraska plays with a ferocity that the Indianapolis Colts can use. Special teams, even more than offense and defense, is all about a will to get the job done. Bullock likely understands he will be hanging by a thread most seasons as far as making a roster, but he can make an impact in the third phase of the game.
He was part of 10 tackles (five solo), and he wasn't credited with a missed tackle. In total, the Colts missed 35 tackles on kick and punt returns, which is a big reason that the team failed to keep teams pushed back on kick returns.
Every yard counts, of course, and while the Indianapolis Colts finished 8-9, they were not far away from making the postseason even with a glut of key players getting injured. John Bullock might not transform the inside linebacker group for Indy, but he can help the team be better on special teams.
That might be enough to steal another win or two, which might be all it takes for Indianapolis to finally get back to the postseason. Once in the playoffs, anything can happen.