The Indianapolis Colts did achieve a goal that general manager Chris Ballard wanted early in the offseason. The team got younger and, hopefully, more athletic on its defensive front seven. That doesn't mean the defense is necessarily better, especially at edge rusher.
The team let Kwity Paye go in free agency, but Indy signed Arden Key to replace him. That's a wash. Ballard also signed the underwhelming Micheal Clemons and drafted two players on the edge late in the draft. As poor as the edge rushers were overall in 2025, no one can truly argue the group is better heading into 2026.
That is why the team might need to re-sign Tyquan Lewis. He's floating in free agency now, and he might not be able to find another home. He is 31 years old and not overly productive last season, but Indianapolis does know what he is capable of.
The Indianapolis Colts should think again about bringing Tyquan Lewis back
One might argue that Lewis was a bad fit in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's system, but other than Laiatu Latu, no one was last year. One could even argue that Anarumo's scheme cannot have several high-performing edge rushers. Trey Hendrickson was great when both were with the Cincinnati Bengals, but Cincy didn't have an abundance of good players at the position.
This could indicate that Lewis, even while getting a little older, could be better in his second season under Anarumo than he was in 2025, when he had just three sacks. He also played just 36 percent of the reps.
The odd part is that no other player, other than Latu, was performing well, either. One might have assumed Anarumo would see if others could step up, but no. The pass rush was a problem all season long, especially as defensive lineman DeForest Buckner missed most of the season after Week 9.
Depth matters at the position, and relying on Latu and Key to be a lot better than Paye and Latu is seemingly foolish. Clemons hasn't accomplished much in his career, and late-round rookies won't be expected to contribute much right away.
Tyquan Lewis is only two seasons removed from having 44 total quarterback pressures and nine tackles for loss. To be clear, he isn't a transformative player, but he would be a valuable depth piece for a group of players that needs solid depth to operate well.
The Indianapolis Colts still have a good amount of money to spend ahead of the season, and signing Lewis would likely cost $2 million or less. He's worth a one-year risk to bring back. Indy could use the help.
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