LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 17: Jadeveon Clowney #42 of the Dallas Cowboys lines up before a play during the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on November 17, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Colts have made a pair of depth signings already at defensive end, with Arden Key looking like a potential upgrade in pressure generation (11.2% Pressure Rate in 2025) from the Samson Ebukam (9.8%), Kwity Paye (9.6%), and Tyquan Lewis (8%) trio in 2025, and Micheal Clemons providing depth in run defense with his size, power, and length.
But the Colts still need more
Umph! in their pass rushing rotation. Either they need a true starter to be on the other side of young ascending pass rusher Laiatu Latu, or they need a designated pass rusher who can add to the rotation and provide some efficient pass rushing in a smaller situational role. Post-Trey Hendrickson signing with the Ravens and with Maxx Crosby’s trade value still too high for the Colts without Round 1 picks in 2026 and 2027, who is available for the Colts to add to their Defensive End rotation? What is the good and the bad with the Colts acquiring any of these players?
We already covered a pair of trade targets for the Colts to consider, but there are still 8 Free Agents that could upgrade the Colts outside pass rush.
Joey Bosa, former Buffalo Bill
2025 Stats: 54 Pressures (13.5%), 5 Sacks, 52 Run Defense Grade
The Good
Joey Bosa is one of the household names on this list. The 2016 3rd Overall pick has maintained that status since his Rookie of the Year season with 5 subsequent Pro Bowls, the latest one being in 2024. His 77 career sacks are 10th most among active NFL edge rushers and 13th among all active players. Few players on this list can match his career pedigree.
In 2025 he was still a highly efficient pass rusher, forming a vicious duo with Gregory Rousseau in making QBs uncomfortable dropping back. His pressure rate is just 0.2% below potential trade target Josh Sweat’s, who racked up 12 sacks with that comparable pressure level. The sacks might not have been at his peak levels, but he is still highly disruptive.
By releasing Joey Bosa, the
#Chargers clear $25.3M in cap. He’s now free to sign anywhere he wants.
https://t.co/OfsxpsRZmK
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report)
March 6, 2025
Health wise he also hasn’t missed a game in the last 2 years, giving some hope he has put his more major prior injury woes to rest for a bit.
The Bad
Joey Bosa’s run defense took a nosedive in 2025, with his 33.3% missed tackle rate the worst of his career. He struggled in wrapping up ball carriers and passers, which reflected in his low 5 sack total relative to his high pressure rate. His 52 Run Defense Grade is by far the lowest of his career, as he hasn’t gone below 67.4 in any of the last 6 seasons prior to 2025, so there is hope with better tackling the 280 lb. edge setter will bounce back.
Bosa also has an infamous amount of injuries. He has missed 36 games over the course of his NFL career due to the following:
- 2016: 4 games missed due to a hamstring pull. He also played through a dislocated finger (offseason surgery afterwards) and a cervical neck injury.
- 2018: A camp left foot injury got reaggravated and cost him the first 9 games of the season.
- 2020: Two separate concussions cost him 2 games each.
- 2022: A grade 3 inguinal groin tear cost him 12 games until he returned in Week 17.
- 2023: A right foot sprain placed him out for the season on IR, missing 7 games.
Even beyond these injuries he also suffered a foot sprain in 2021 during practices and a concussion mid game in 2021, a wrist sprain in camp, a tweaked lower back injury Week 1, and an early season hip bruise in 2024, as well as a 2025 calf pull that cost him OTAs and minicamp. Even without any missed time the last two seasons, he’s still been on the injury report.
Overall
The soon to be 31 year old pass rusher might not be at his previous peak, but he still is a highly effective pass rusher who could bounce back as a run stopper and hasn’t missed any game time the last 2 seasons. The prior injuries and only 10 sacks over the last 2 years should keep his price relatively low, but Spotrac does have his Market Value as the highest for the Free Agent DEs at $13.7 million per year.
Leonard Floyd, former Atlanta Falcon
2025 Stats: 36 Pressures (12.5%), 3.5 Sacks, 60 Run Defense Grade
The Good
Floyd has been a highly consistent pass rusher during the 2020s. From 2020-2024 he recorded 8.5 (2024) to 10.5 sacks (2020 & 2023) each year, and since 2021 his pressure rate has been in the 10.6% (2023) to 15.8% (2021) range. Despite that consistency in the pass rushing department, he has been a rusher for hire with a different team in each of the last 4 seasons.
Players with more Sacks than Leonard Floyd since the start of the 2020 season
– T.J. Watt
– Trey Hendrickson
– Myles Garrett
– Nick Bosa
– Haason Reddick
– Micah Parsons
End of list.
https://t.co/LhfWlHGr8Y pic.twitter.com/dLKmXKJkSU
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB)
March 11, 2025
He might not be the biggest pass rusher at 240 lbs. but he is a proven speed rusher who can win quickly and often around the edge. He’s also stayed very healthy in his career, as he hasn’t missed a single game due to injury from 2018-2025. Despite 0 Pro Bowls, Floyd’s 70 career sacks is a strong mark for this 10 year vet.
The Bad
Floyd is going to be 34 in September. While his pass rush is still strong and he’s been able to hold on to his starting job everywhere he’s traveled, his run defense has taken a hit since he turned 30 in 2022. He can still shoot gaps and make some plays in the backfield and in pursuit, but he isn’t a strong edge setter at his size and age.
Last year he also had a near-career low in sacks at 3.5, so there could be questions on his ability to finish rushes.
Overall
Assuming Father Time doesn’t hit too hard, Floyd could provide the Colts a starting caliber Defensive End who can sub out for run downs but provide consistent pressure. Even if he doesn’t get the sack himself, his ability to win quickly should open up clean up sack opportunities for other defenders when he forced passers to move away from him. With his pedigree as a pass rusher his Spotrac Market value is $8.9 million. He has made $10 million in each of the last 2 seasons with the 49ers and Falcons, so his price point should remain in that reasonable range.
Jadeveon Clowney, former Dallas Cowboy
2025 Stats: 40 Pressures (17.6%), 8.5 Sacks, 70.6 Run Defense Grade
The Good
Jadeveon Clowney has a strong reputation as a run defender, which is certainly warranted with his run defense grade being 69.9-90.8 in 10 of his 12 NFL seasons. However he also had the highest pressure rate of any Free Agent Defensive End in 2025, with his 17.6% pressure rate eclipsing any season that even star Trey Hendrickson has had.
If the Colts want a value signing DE, Jadeveon Clowney is an interesting name to keep and eye on. Over the past 3 years he has been w/ 3 different teams & his cap was $2.5m-$6m each year due to his injury history
Despite the injury concerns, he's provided +value each time.
pic.twitter.com/emA182YcTD
— Jay Robins (@TheJayRobins)
January 13, 2026
The 2014 1st Overall Pick might not have earned any Pro Bowls or All Pro Berths since his peak 2016-2018 stretch with the Houston Texans, but since 2021 he’s been remarkably consistent in pressures, recording at least 12.6% pressure rate in all but one year. He also has had 3 seasons with 8.5 to 9.5 sacks in that stretch, getting home pretty reliably too.
The 2020 meniscus scared a lot of teams, but since then he’s played an average of 14 games every season and hasn’t suffered any injury that has knocked him out for a month of time or ended his season.
The Bad
Clowney just turned 33 in February and despite not having any major injuries as of late, he’s still been dinged up here or there in recent years. In 2023 it was a minor knee injury he had to deal with throughout the year. In 2024 it was a shoulder injury that cost him 3 games. In 2025 he dealt with a neck injury and played through a hamstring injury, but didn’t miss any games due to that (didn’t play first 3 games due to being signed mid season by the Cowboys).
Overall
As long as his body doesn’t betray him, Clowney has proven to provide strong value play in the last half decade. He has cost teams anywhere from $2.5 million to $10 million a year in his travels around the NFL since 2021, and his Spotrac Market Value is currently $5.7 million.
Jadeveon clowney 6 TKL, 3 SCK, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 PD, vs NYG Today.
pic.twitter.com/1HW7chNut5 https://t.co/LEp1mH40Bk
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances)
January 4, 2026
If the Colts want to go for a bargain stopgap starting Defensive End that can be an effective run defender and pass rusher, Clowney seems like the one of the best bang-for-your-buck options with a consistent year to year impact.
Haason Reddick, former Tampa Bay Buccaneer
2025 Stats: 34 Pressures (11%), 2.5 Sacks, 45.2 Run Defense Grade
The Good
Haason Reddick is another accomplished pass rusher and was off to a hot start in 2025 as a new Tampa Bay Buc. His 27 pressures (15.3% Pressure Rate) was a big boon to their defense through the first 6 weeks. It’s par for the course for Reddick, as he is the 10th leading sacker in the NFL since 2020 when he embraced a full time role as a pass rusher on the Edge. Heck from 2020-2023 he was 4th in the NFL with 50.5 Sacks in 4 seasons. During that time he averaged 64 pressures a season (13.1%), causing consistent pressure.
Reddick is an undersized but extremely juiced up speed rusher who has a vicious array of moves to win on the outside to get to the QB. He also has former off ball Linebacker experience, so some creative coordinators can use him as a blitzer around the line to help attack different passing lanes. He is still most comfortable on the edge though, so teams shouldn’t lose sight of that, but his versatility is rare for free agent DEs.
Time for my annual Haason Reddick
Colts pitch tweet.
+ Elite speed & quickness, made a career off of outside speed rushes
+ 4th most sacks in NFL 2020-2023 (50.5)
+ Small injury history, only 1 missed game prior to 2025 from injury
+ 15.3% Pressure% in Weeks 1-6 of 2025
pic.twitter.com/peNXDwN5rk
— Jay Robins (@TheJayRobins)
March 13, 2026
The Bad
Reddick will be 32 at the start of the season and is coming off a few injuries. He suffered both ankle and knee injuries in Week 7 last year, causing him to be carted off the field and missing a month of games. When he returned he was limited both in practice participation and game effectiveness. It was his first major injury of his career that caused him to miss multiple games, though he did also suffer a thumb injury in 2023 that caused him to miss the preseason. His only other injuries were an ankle sprain as a rookie and a groin pull in 2019, but neither caused him to miss any games.
Due to the aforementioned midseason injury and a 2024 contract holdout after being traded late in the offseason, Reddick is coming off of a pair of down years. He has played in only 23 of 34 possible games in the last 2 seasons and has totaled only 3.5 sacks in that span.
Reddick has also never been a great edge setter due to his size, so he has often needed to be subbed out in run situations during his career.
Overall
Reddick was flashing his old efficiency as a pass rusher last year prior to injury, so his decline in play is inherently tied to his midseason injury and the 2024 holdout. If healthy and given a full offseason with a new team, there is optimism he could return to form as one of the better speed rushers in the NFL. His contract with the Eagles from 2022-2024 cost $15 million per year, while his 1 year deal cost the Buccaneers $14 million last season, but after the injury and two years without the same level of sacks Spotrac has his market value as $4.9 million (which is close to what his 1 year deal with the Panthers in 2021 cost, $6 million). Reddick should be an affordable designated speed rusher who if healthy can provide a lot of juice and quick wins off the edge in passing situations.
Anfernee Jennings, former New England Patriot
2025 Stats: 25 Pressures (11.7%), 2 Sacks, 73.2 Run Defense Grade
The Good
Anfernee Jennings is a 28 year old Defensive End who has spent his entire career with the New England Patriots. He was a depth Defensive End in his first 2 years and became a starter for 2023-2024 before returning to a rotational and spot-starting role. His Run Defense is stout, with strong grades over his entire career ranging from 71.4 as a rookie to 85.9 in 2023. His pass rush has improved in each of the last 3 years, going from a below average 7.6% in 2023 to a solid 11.7% last year. He even had 2 sacks in the playoffs, getting hot at just the right time for the Patriots run to the Super Bowl.
Six players have multiple sacks in the 2025 playoffs…
The Patriots have 3 of them:
K’Lavon Chaisson – 3.0
Milton Williams – 2.0
Anfernee Jennings – 2.0
@Patriots |
#NEPats
— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher)
January 22, 2026
Teams could bet on the upward trajectory of Jennings still in his prime and try to see if he takes further steps as a pass rusher.
The Bad
Jennings has never had more than 2.5 sacks in a season. His injury history starts in college with a PCL tear and blood clot emergency that required surgery, keeping him out of the 2018 National Championship. That injury lowered his draft stock coming out to be a 3rd Round pick out of Alabama. He got healthy and stayed healthy until recently, albeit most of his injuries are just minor dings. His last one was the most concerning, a knee injury in 2024. However he did play through it and was healthy for all of 2025. Still something to monitor with his past collegiate injury.
Overall
Jennings is a solid player who can make immediate impact on run downs for any team that picks him up. His pass rush profile is improving albeit not with the strongest history of production in pressures and scant sack numbers. His Spotrac Market Value is $6.4 million, so he should be affordable as a run stopper. A team signing him is betting on his best football yet to come with his age and growth year over year as a pass rusher.
Von Miller, former Washington Commander
2025 Stats: 36 Pressures (12.5%), 9 Sacks, 67.2 Run Defense Grade
The Good
No pass rusher on the market has had as distinguished of a career as Von Miller. He needs no introduction but deserves one with his 3 First Team All Pros, 3 Second Team All Pros, and 8 Pro Bowls from 2011-2019. He is the active career NFL sack leader with 138.5 and ranks 9th All Time. Should he get just 3.5 more sacks, Von will be 5th All Time behind only Reggie White, Bruce Smith, Kevin Greene, and Julius Peppers. While he is no longer in his prime like the 2010s Von Miller of yesteryear, he is still an effective designated pass rusher.
Outside of 2023 and 2025, Von Miller has gotten a 14.5%-16.1% Pressure Rate and has had 8-9.5 sacks in 3 of the last 5 seasons. He can still get after the QB very well even at his current age, a testament to his technical mastery and how well he’s taken care of himself.
Von Miller is aging like fine wine
Miller has the highest QB Pressure Rate since Week 13 among all players with 50+ pass rushes (24.1 )
pic.twitter.com/CCA67ql4iC
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB)
January 26, 2025
If the Colts want a designated pass rusher with the best resume possible and a potential mentor to help teach a younger Defensive End room the ropes and nuances of pass rushing, Von Miller makes excellent sense to sign.
The Bad
Von Miller is going to be 37 this next season. In a sport where being over 30 is considered old, Von Miller is ancient. His pressure rate took a dip in 2025, could it continue to fall as Father Time is creeping up on him? His run defense has fallen off in the 2020s so he is already limited to pass rush downs.
Miller also doesn’t have the cleanest bill of health either. His career split into a clear “before” and “after” of his 2020 Grade 3 Ankle Tear which has separated his All Pro start of his career and his designated pass rusher recent history. Von also suffered an ACL and meniscus tear in 2022 and struggled in 2023 after recovering from it. He’s gotten 15 sacks in the 2 years since and had his post ankle tear career high 16.1% pressure rate in 2024, so he has recovered from it, but the history of leg injuries is a concern going forward.
Overall
Von Miller joins the
@Commanders after a season where he recorded the quickest pass rush get-off in the NFL (0.69 seconds, min. 150 pass rushes).
While playing limited snaps in Buffalo, Miller generated a 17.9% pressure rate, the 5th-highest among edge defenders with at least…
https://t.co/vIuQ9oIB80 pic.twitter.com/vmmae689US
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats)
July 17, 2025
Von certainly wouldn’t be in the “younger” category for what Chris Ballard said he was looking for to add to the Defense. But at least he is still in the “faster” category and danggumit the veteran edge rusher still has the juice in his legs to make QBs get grass/turf stains. Should the Colts want a designated veteran pass rusher who can help teach Laiatu Latu, JT Tuimoloau, Arden Key, Micheal Clemons, and any potential 2026 rookie Edge Rusher lessons in how to beat NFL Tackles consistently and bring down QBs, Von is a top choice. His Spotrac Market Value is currently $5.8 million, and he only cost $6.1 million on his one year deal with the Commanders in 2025 so he should be affordable. There is some injury risk here though.
Cameron Jordan, former New Orleans Saint
2025 Stats: 36 Pressures (10.7%), 10.5 Sacks, 82.1 Run Defense Grade
The Good
Cameron Jordan is just behind Von Miller in career sacks with 132 and needs 10 sacks to get to 6th place All Time. Another highly decorated player with 1 First Team All Pro, 2 Second Team All Pros, and 8 Pro Bowls on the resume, Jordan has seen it all in the NFL and can be a strong mentor for the Colts Defensive End room. Prior to joining Lou Anarumo with the Bengals, Trey Hendrickson was mentored by Cameron Jordan on the Saints and helped him grow to have a late rookie deal breakout.
Saints great Cameron Jordan wants 130 career sacks by end of 2025 season: "You're always looking for that next level"
https://t.co/Z9CHNkNHSj pic.twitter.com/aKJdieqkNK
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL)
April 9, 2025
Jordan himself brings more of a power rusher build with a 280-290 lb build but in his prime a ton of speed for his size. He still has strong closing speed and agility for his size 15 years into his NFL career. As such he has been a strong edge setter against the run his entire career. He also can bully Tackles into running into their QBs which is an amount of power the Colts don’t have on the Edge at this time. He still showed in 2025 that he can be a double digit sack guy in his mid 30s.
He also has been incredibly durable, not missing a single game in the last 3 years and playing at least 16 games in all 15 years of his career.
The Bad
Jordan has not been a highly efficient pressurer for a few years now, with his pressure rate hovering just above or just below 10% every year since 2020. That’s around league average for Defensive Ends in recent years. His first step burst isn’t as strong as it once was, so he isn’t getting as many quick wins either.
Like Von Miller, he is also a 37 year old NFL player next season. How much longer can we expect him to be a productive player with Father Time looming over him?
Overall
I could pretty much copy and paste the prior conclusion of Von Miller to Cameron Jordan minus the injury concerns. There is the tradeoff that Jordan could stay on the field more with his run stuffing abilities, albeit with less juice off the edge for pass rushing, but otherwise they are in the same boat as decorated future Hall of Fame pass rushers who could mentor the next generation of Colts at their position. His Spotrac Market Value is $6.7 million and his last contract was a 1 year deal with the Saints for $6.05 million, albeit it was coming off of only getting 6 sacks in 2023-2024 for the Saints. Perhaps he will get a decent pay raise in his first time away from the Saints and coming off a 10.5 sack season? Or will his 37 year old status keep his price at the same range? May the market decide his financial future.
