For most NFL rookies, it takes more than a game or three to become a productive player. Sometimes, it takes an entire season. For one struggling Indianapolis Colts rookie, it might have taken five games. The future looks a lot brighter now.
After being a healthy scratch for a few games at the beginning of the season, 2025 second-round draft pick JT Tuimoloau appeared to be preparing for a wasted season. He wasn't impressing coaches in practice, clearly, because he wasn't getting a chance to play.
That changed a bit in Week 5. In a blowout of the Las Vegas Raiders, the defensive lineman out of Ohio State got 26 snaps, almost all of them as an edge rusher. He didn't produce much, though. He had just one tackle and no quarterback pressures.
JT Tuimoloau might be ascending for the Indianapolis Colts just when they need him most
Still, it might have been the experience that mattered, both for the player and for the team. The Indianapolis Colts got their longest look at what Tuimoloau might be able to do and weren't completely dissatisfied with it.
After sitting out Week 6, the rookie got another chance to prove himself in a Week 7 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo needed a consistent rotation of pass rushers as Indy jumped out to a lead, forced LA to throw a lot. This time, Tuimoloau was even better.
He was credited with three pressures on 20 pass-rush snaps, and two of those were actual hits on the quarterback. In other words, Tuimoloau was beginning to affect what Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was trying to do. While the rookie didn't have a tackle, he might have implied what his niche will be for the Colts.
Every NFL team needs a group of good pass rushers, not just one or two. The Colts have Laiatu Latu and interior rushers like DeForest Buckner, but an ascending JT Tuimoloau is only going to help the entire defense. That goes for this season, of course, but possibly well into the future.
The big question moving forward in the near future for the rookie is how much he impressed Anarumo in Week 7. If Tuimoloau goes back to not playing, the answer will be clear: the edge rusher didn't do enough. One might guess, though, that JT Tuimoloau begins getting a bunch more snaps in the future.