The Colts didn’t exactly go on a spending spree this spring, and that makes the Michael Clemons signing stand out even more. Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard poured about 200 million dollars into retaining quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce, then added about 55 million more across 13 free agents. Most of those moves were the kind of low-cost bets Ballard has leaned on before, with only two of the new contracts running past 2026 besides Jones and Pierce.
Clemons ended up with one of the more notable deals in that group. It was the third-highest contract in total value after the two headline signings, a three-year pact worth up to $17 million. And now the edge rusher is already getting dragged by the people who covered him in New York.
The Jet Press recently slotted Clemons onto its “All-Worst” team for the last 20 years, putting him in some rough company alongside quarterback Zach Wilson, running back Le’Veon Bell, and defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, who is currently with the Washington Commanders. That’s not the kind of label Colts fans were hoping to see attached to one of their new additions.
Clemons was a fourth-round pick by the Jets in 2022, and then-coach Robert Saleh liked his intensity. The Texas A&M lineman brought length and power, even if he wasn’t known for speed or agility.
But in New York, that edge never really turned into consistent production. Instead, the intensity seemed to show up more in penalties and shouting matches than in sacks and tackles.
His third season offered a few flashes, but 2025 sent him back into a reserve role. He finished with nine solo tackles and nine quarterback pressures in nearly 600 defensive snaps, while posting the worst missed tackle rate of his career at just under 20%.
For Indianapolis, the hope is that a new setting changes the story. Ballard clearly isn’t treating Clemons like a sure thing, though. If Clemons doesn’t make the roster this year, the Colts would be on the hook for a $5 million dead cap hit, with the contract structured to drop that number significantly in 2027.
Clemons is also part of a much larger defensive rebuild. Ballard had to replace nearly half the starting defense and went bargain hunting to do it.
Some of those cheaper additions - Akeem Davis-Gaither, Cam Taylor-Britt, and Juanyeh Thomas - at least give the Colts something to work with. Others, like Jerry Tillery, Derrick Nnadi, and Jonathan Owens, fit the profile of older veterans who have not been major difference-makers for a while.
Clemons doesn’t fit neatly into that latter group. He’s younger, which keeps the upside conversation alive, and there’s at least a plausible path to improvement under Lou Anarumo’s system. New line coach Marion Hobby also has a track record with Sam Hubbard, a player described as a virtual physical clone of Clemons, from their time in Cincinnati.
That’s where the Colts are left heading into training camp next week: a gamble, a thin margin for error, and a clear need for better edge talent. Ballard also added Arden Key, who is projected to start opposite Laiatu Latu, and drafted a couple more edge prospects to join Latu, Key, and second-year player Jaylahn Tuimoloau.
So the question hanging over Clemons is simple enough. Can he make the Jets - and the writers at Jet Press - look wrong for how they judged him? The Colts can only hope so.
In Other News...
Colts Eye Former Starter As Another Key Camp Decision Looms
With camp decisions still taking shape, the Colts are weighing another veteran option in the secondary after Jordan Whitehead recently visited the team. The former starter is drawing interest elsewhere too, including a stop with the Texans, which underscores that Indianapolis is not the only club looking for a proven safety who can help stabilize the back end without forcing a long-term commitment.
For Chris Ballard, the appeal may be in a short-term deal that keeps the roster flexible while adding competition to a room still sorting out backup snaps. Whitehead would not arrive with a clear path to a starting job, but he could push for reserve safety reps and enter the mix with Hunter Wohler as the Colts continue to evaluate how the pieces fit under Lou Anarumo. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Still Have One Receiver Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Colts spent the offseason reshaping their receiver room, moving Michael Pittman Jr. out to create the financial and roster room needed for Alec Pierces extension, then adding Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in free agency and Deion Burks in the draft. Even with those moves, the depth chart still has a familiar question hanging over it: who actually steps into the role behind the top options, and who gives this passing game the kind of reliable third presence it lacked at times last season?
Shane Steichen has framed it as a true camp competition, with Ashton Dulin, Laquon Treadwell, Westbrook-Ikhine and Burks all in the mix for that third receiver job. The Colts will keep sorting out how the targets are distributed around Pierce, Josh Downs and Tyler Warren, but the bigger issue is simpler than that. They have bodies, they have candidates and they have a plan, yet they still do not have a clear answer for which one of them can separate from the pack and hold the spot week after week. [Read more 🡒]
Two Colts Backups Just Got Recognition That Could Matter Soon
A couple of Colts backups just picked up some outside recognition that says as much about roster construction as it does about individual talent. ESPNs Bill Barnwell put together a hypothetical 53-man All-Backup team, and Indianapolis landed two names on it in wide receiver Ashton Dulin and defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore, a reminder that depth can swing a season as much as headline starters do.
Dulin drew notice for the value he brings on special teams and the fact that he can still flash as a receiver when called upon, while Adebawore got credit for his growing pass-rush presence and increased production in 2025. For the Colts, it is the kind of acknowledgment that matters because these are the players who can quietly keep a team afloat when injuries hit and the rotation gets tested. [Read more 🡒]