From the moment E.J. Speed made his departure from the Indianapolis Colts official, fans have been asking the same question. Who will be playing alongside Zaire Franklin in the middle of the Colts' defense? Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is just a few days away, and we are still asking.
It was supposed to be Jaylon Carlies. And before the season is through, it may be last year’s fifth-round draft pick. But he is out with an ankle injury, and his return date is unknown. One thing we are sure of is that he will not play on Sunday against Miami.
Lou Anarumo has four other linebackers at his disposal this week, and quite frankly, you could make a case for any of them to see extended time. OK, some are more likely than others, but this is not something I would bet the house on. There is no sure thing.
Who will play linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1?
Depth charts can be pretty unreliable at this point. If you check the one maintained by the team itself, you’ll find Cameron McGrone’s name. But team charts are the most unreliable of all. The Colts don’t even list two of their current linebackers – not even as backups.
ESPN has three linebackers designated as starters. McGrone and Joe Bachie join Franklin. New defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has run more traditional three-linebacker sets through his career than Indy employed last season, so perhaps both McGrone and Bachie will be on the field a lot.
But Miami is going to throw. If Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and Malik Washington are all on the field, the Colts will not have three linebackers defending them. Depending on the rest of the Dolphins' personnel, they might not even have two linebackers on the field.
Let’s assume that Anarumo will run a lot of sets with two linebackers. That is a pretty good bet. Will it be McGrone or Bachie?
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McGrone has played eight defensive snaps. That’s in his entire three-year career. Is Anarumo likely to trust him with a major role? Bachie, on the other hand, came with the new DC from Cincinnati. He is also a career backup, but he has more than 200 snaps and four years' worth of experience with Anarumo.
Of course, the vast majority of those snaps came back in 2021. In recent seasons, Anarumo has chosen others to play ahead of Bachie.
If Indy wants experience, they might just turn to Chad Muma. He has been with the team for about fourteen minutes now, but he has been a serviceable reserve in Jacksonville for three seasons. He has good physical tools and is still just 26. Depending on how quickly he can get up to speed with a new defense, he might eventually be the best choice to fill in until Carlies can return.
Then again, maybe you think the guy who played the best in preseason –Segun Olubi – deserves a shot. Olubi has been a good special teamer in his brief career, but he showed some genuine comfort in Anarumo’s scheme in the preseason.
I think Bachie will be getting the call come Sunday, but it’s really wide open. Whoever is on the field first will give way to others if he proves unable to make plays. Eventually, Muma will get his chance as well, though it may not be Week 1.
Then, at some point, Carlies will come off the injured list, and we can engage in this whole “who’s playing next to Zaire?” game all over again.