The Indianapolis Colts have a lot of top-end talent, but they also have some glaring weaknesses. One of those is edge rusher, especially the depth at the position after Laiatu Latu. General manager Chris Ballard has a golden opportunity to fix the issue by signing veteran Jadeveon Clowney.
Clowney, according to NFL insider Aaron Wilson (who has strong ties to the Houston Texans), reported on Wednesday that the player visited with the Cleveland Browns, and he is drawing interest from the Texans and the Seattle Seahawks. Colts fans might rightfully ask why Indy isn't on that list too.
Per Spotrac, Clowney's market value is expected to be only $5.7 million for one year. Indianapolis has plenty of cap space left, so signing the edge rusher wouldn't be a problem. The only potential drawbacks are the willingness to do so and the ability to sell Clowney on the team's chances of winning.
Indianapolis Colts should aggressively pursue Jadeveon Clowney
Ballard cannot believe his current group of edge rushers is good, though maybe he does because he has never shown the ability to understand what makes a good group. His draft picks at the position have mostly been disappointing, though Latu might turn into a very good player. He simply needs help.
The Colts saw Kwity Paye, a former first-round selection who never exceeded eight sacks in a season and only had four last year, leave in free agency and sign with the Las Vegas Raiders. In his place, Ballard signed veteran Arden Key, whose best sack total in a single season is 6.5. He's a fine player, but more in the mold of a low-end starter than a true disruptor.
Everyone else is more iffy. Jaylahn Tuimoloau was awful as a rookie, so any hope that he can be better in year two is just that: A hope. Micheal Clemons was signed in free agency and wasn't good in his four seasons with the New York Jets. He whiffed on 18.5 percent of his tackle attempts in 2025, for instance, and had just one sack.
Jadeveon Clowney is a three-down player who is good at pressuring quarterbacks (he had 8.5 sacks with the Dallas Cowboys in 2025) and has always been elite against the run. If he does sign for $6 million a season, that would be a team-friendly deal with likely high-end efficiency from the player. He would immediately upgrade a position group for the Indianapolis Colts that needs upgrading.
Making matters worse would be watching Clowney sign with the Texans, a team that hasn't been afraid to make potentially impactful moves, such as signing former Colts right tackle Braden Smith this past offseason. Clowney would only make a great defense better, and Chris Ballard would have whiffed on a chance to even bring Clowney in for a visit.
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