The Indianapolis Colts have a problem on defense, and it showed again when the Pittsburgh Steelers piled up more than 30 points. The tackling was sloppy, the edge rush got next to nothing done, and Lou Anarumo’s unit looked short on answers.
That’s why an edge rusher has to be on the Colts’ radar. General manager Chris Ballard does not usually dive into midseason trades - the source points to just one, last season for Sauce Gardner - but this might be the kind of year that forces a different move. Indianapolis has the draft capital to get something done and the cap room to absorb a deal, and if the defense still sputters after that, the blame would land on coaching more than the roster.
One name to keep in mind is Khalil Mack. The 35-year-old remains productive, even with a no-trade clause and a Los Angeles Chargers team sitting at 0-5.
He had a down Week 5, but the overall production is still there: 14 pressures and three sacks on the season, plus two games with at least four pressures. He’s also held up well against the run.
Any team trading for Mack would take on $5,777,778 for the rest of the year, a number the source describes as affordable. The bigger question is what the Chargers would want back, and because of his age, the return probably wouldn’t be a premium pick.
Joshua Uche is another fit. The Miami Dolphins edge rusher is on track to play the most snaps of his seven-year career, by a wide margin, and while he has long been viewed as a quality rotational piece, he’s now functioning as a full-time starter in 2026.
Through five games, he has 10 pressures, has been excellent against the run, and has been a reliable tackler, missing only 4.5 percent so far. The price also looks manageable: the Colts likely wouldn’t have to go above a fourth-round pick, and the rest-of-season salary would be under $1 million.
He’s also shown he can adjust quickly in new places.
Then there’s YaYa Diaby, whose pressure totals haven’t matched his past production yet this season. Through five games, he has seven pressures, but the track record is much stronger - 62 in 2025 and 70 in 2024.
The source suggests the pace should pick back up. His missed tackle rate sits at 23.1 percent, though that comes entirely from two games, Weeks 2 and 3, and he has not missed any tackles in the other three.
Diaby is headed for free agency next offseason, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are unlikely to franchise-tag him. For Indianapolis, he would cost just $2,653,444 for the rest of the season, and he has the kind of talent that could make him more than a short-term fix.
In Other News...
Aaron Rodgers Made The Colts Loss Even More Annoying Afterward
The Colts frustration from Sunday carried into the hours after the game when Aaron Rodgers turned a Steelers win into one more reminder of how well Pittsburgh handled the moment. Rodgers was efficient throughout the afternoon, completing 22 of 31 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns, and the victory helped keep Pittsburgh at 3-2 as the social-media chatter shifted from the box score to what he wore afterward.
Rodgers showed up in a shirt nodding to a longtime Mike Tomlin coaching reminder, a detail that only added another layer to an already aggravating result for Indianapolis. Even if the on-field damage was done, the postgame tribute gave the Steelers a little extra edge in the conversation and left the Colts with one more irritant from a loss they would have preferred to leave in the rearview. [Read more 🡒]
Quenton Nelsons Frustration Sums Up A Growing Colts Problem
The Colts left Pittsburgh with a familiar kind of offensive imbalance, one that put their best players in a bind. In a 34-22 loss to the Steelers, Indianapolis could never get its ground game moving, and Quenton Nelsons frustration after the game reflected just how quickly a stalled run attack can take over everything else around it.
Jonathan Taylor was held to 45 yards on 15 carries, and the lack of push in the run game forced Daniel Jones into a heavy workload with 44 pass attempts. For a team that wants to be physical first and control the pace, that kind of script is hard to ignore, especially when the rushing numbers never threaten to change it. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Still Have One Big WR Problem After Passing On Harrison Jr
The Colts spent the week circling a wide receiver market that had familiar urgency for a team still searching for answers on the outside. Indianapolis was reportedly in the mix for Marvin Harrison Jr. before Houston swooped in, and the move served as another reminder that the Colts are still trying to stabilize a position group that has been hit by injuries and uneven production.
For now, the depth chart remains thin enough to keep the issue front and center. With Alec Pierce still sidelined by a heel injury, Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and Laquon Treadwell are carrying the top load in the passing game, which leaves Indianapolis in a familiar spot: needing help at receiver, knowing it, and still waiting to find the right addition. [Read more 🡒]