The Colts are already moving pieces before the NFL trade deadline, but Adetomiwa Adeboware is not one of them.
With Indianapolis off to a rough start in the 2026 season, the team has started selling off key talent. Quenton Nelson was sent to the Seattle Seahawks, and DeForest Buckner was traded to the San Francisco 49ers.
Josh Downs also looms as one of the more obvious candidates to be dealt. Even so, the Colts have drawn a line on Adeboware, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
“Circling back here, I spoke to two teams today that talked to the Colts about DT Adetomiwa Adeboware and were told he's staying put,” Garafolo reports. “Indy sees him as a big part of the picture moving forward. Surely that means working to extend him before he hits the FA market after the season.”
That update matters because Adeboware had surfaced as a trade candidate, but the Colts are not treating him like an expendable asset. Indianapolis appears intent on keeping the 2023 fourth-round pick through the deadline and, in all likelihood, trying to work out a long-term deal before he reaches free agency after the season.
The 25-year-old has earned that kind of attention with a breakout year. Through seven games, Adeboware has posted four sacks and eight quarterback hits, both career highs. He also has one pass defended, 17 total tackles and three tackles for loss.
Even more notable: he has done all of that while playing just 36% of the snaps this season. If that production holds as his workload climbs above 50%, the Colts could be looking at a legitimate star in the making.
Garafolo’s report also shows that other teams have been probing for a possible deal, but Indianapolis turned them away. For a fan base watching the roster get stripped down ahead of the deadline, that at least brings some good news: not every valuable piece is on the move, and Adeboware may be part of the Colts’ plans well beyond 2026.
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Sean Salisbury has been among the loudest critics, arguing that players do not want to feel micro-managed from the top, and Bill Simmons has also voiced disapproval. Irsay-Gordon, though, has said the sideline and headset setup helps her better understand how the organization functions and evaluate whether people truly know what they're talking about, which is why this debate is likely to keep following the Colts as long as the team keeps drawing attention. [Read more 🡒]