Indianapolis, IN
Colts’ Top 3 Needs (and Options) to Maximize Lou Anarumo’s Defense
The Indianapolis Colts have reportedly hired Lou Anarumo to be their next defensive coordinator. The former Cincinnati Bengals signal-caller will bring an innovative and unique style to Indianapolis next season (and hopefully beyond).
The Colts have several good pieces to offer Anarumo, including former Pro Bowl nickel cornerback Kenny Moore II and former All-Pro DeForest Buckner. Grover Stewart should also excel in the same scheme that D.J. Reader once thrived in with the Bengals. Aside from those three staples, the rest of the Colts’ defense could be in limbo going forward.
The Colts need to add some veteran help to raise the floor of this defense, or the team could face the same issues the Bengals faced last season. The Colts must bring in veterans for these three roles this offseason for Anarumo’s defense to be successful in 2025.
Coverage Linebacker
Anarumo’s linebackers are the core of what he wants to do on defense. Back in his peak years with the Bengals, Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt were fantastic coverage players that made an impact in the passing game. The Colts, in contrast, haven’t had a premier coverage linebacker since Bobby Okereke and Shaquille Leonard left town.
The Colts must look to free agency to improve upon this weakness. Zaire Franklin can be an adequate cover guy, and rookie Jaylon Carlies showed some impressive flashes, but the team needs to add to the room with those guys. E.J. Speed is simply not the answer for this scheme alongside those two aforementioned players.
Tyrel Dodson (Miami Dolphins), Cody Barton (Denver Broncos), and/or Ernest Jones (Seattle Seahawks) could be viable options to upgrade the Colts’ current roster. Dodson, in particular, is an intriguing option, as the athletic linebacker finished last season with three interceptions (most among all linebackers in the league).
Centerfield Safety
The other massive need to address this offseason is deep centerfield safety. Anarumo likes to play out of a single-high structure, and a sideline-to-sideline free safety is a must for his system to survive. In his best years with the Bengals, Jessie Bates was the star roamer over the top.
The Colts have a young strong safety coming off of a career-best season in Nick Cross, but they desperately need a legit cover guy next to him. Julian Blackmon had his worst career season in 2024, and he shouldn’t be an option to start again next year. The Colts need outside help either in the draft or in free agency to improve at free safety.
Jevon Holland (Dolphins), Trevon Moehrig (Las Vegas Raiders), and/or Justin Reid (Kansas City Chiefs) are among the options that could make sense in free agency. Holland would be particularly interesting if he hits the market, but Moehrig could be an interesting consolation prize if he doesn’t.
Veteran Help at Cornerback
As it currently stands, the Colts only have two playable outside cornerbacks on the roster (Samuel Womack, Jaylon Jones). JuJu Brents has not shown the ability to stay healthy, and after him, the cupboard is bare on the roster. The Colts must add some veteran competition to the room to alleviate some growing pains to the new system.
On the higher end, the Colts could look into players like D.J. Reed (New York Jets), Charvarius Ward (San Francisco 49ers), and/or Rasul Douglas (Buffalo Bills) to come in and immediately start next season. Reed, in particular, would be an excellent fit alongside Jones on the outside as a starter.
Even on the lower end, the Colts could look at players like Benjamin St. Juste (Washington Commanders), Shaquill Griffin (Minnesota Vikings), and/or Eric Stokes (Green Bay Packers) simply to come in and compete this offseason. These players, at the very least, would be upgrades over the Colts’ current backups on the team.
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The Indianapolis Colts have cooled considerably as the season has progressed, going from the NFL’s best record to out of the playoff picture entering Week 15 action.
But one of today’s notable storylines is the return of quarterback Philip Rivers after five years away from the NFL. He’s on the Colts’ active roster as they prepare to play the Seattle Seahawks.
The 44-year-old was on Lumen Field hours before kickoff, taking mental reps.
Colts QB Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending injury last week, and backup Riley Leonard suffered a knee injury, though he remains on the active roster. With Brett Rypien the only other QB on their roster and list of available QBs lacking, the Colts called the last signal-caller to lead them in a playoff game (after the 2020 season).
His comeback has piqued the interest of a former Colts coach and players, his former teammates on the Chargers, former NFL quarterbacks and even those from outside football.
Reaction to Philip Rivers being on the Indianapolis Colts today
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
As snow begins to taper off through Indiana, the National Weather Service has begun receiving reports of snow totals.
Here’s how much snow has been reported so far on Dec. 13, according to the NWS.
Snow totals in the Indianapolis area
Carmel: 5.8 inches at 8:01 p.m.
Cumberland: 5 inches at 7:25 p.m.
Indianapolis International Airport: 5 inches at 7:06 p.m.
Brownsburg: 5.7 inches at 6:37 p.m.
Fishers: 5.5 inches at 6:28 p.m.
Westfield: 5.5 inches at 6:05 p.m.
Franklin: 5.1 inches at 5:26 p.m.
Avon: 4.8 inches at 5:25 p.m.
Downtown Indianapolis: 3.5 inches at 5:10 p.m.
Snow totals around Indiana
Dillsboro: 4.5 inches at 8 p.m.
Nashville: 5.5 inches at 7:40 p.m.
Hope: 5.4 inches at 7:33 p.m.
Greensburg: 5 inches at 7:10 p.m.
Rushville: 5 inches at 6:50 p.m.
Batesville: 4.7 inches at 6:30 p.m.
Selma: 6 inches at 6:20 p.m.
Anderson: 6 inches at 5:56 p.m.
Terre Haute: 5.4 inches at 5:50 p.m.
Thorntown: 6 inches at 5:05 p.m.
(This story will be updated)
The Indianapolis Colts signed Philip Rivers from their practice squad to their 53-man active roster on Saturday, clearing the way for the 44-year-old coach of the St. Michael Catholic High School football team to start their NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon.
Nearly five years after his most recent NFL appearance, the former Athens High School star and eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback answered the Colts’ distress call this week and, after three practices with the team, will be eligible to lead Indianapolis against the NFL’s No. 2 scoring defense on Sunday. NFL Network and ESPN reported the Colts would have Rivers in their starting lineup.
Rivers’ comeback began by signing with the Colts’ practice squad on Tuesday. Each NFL team has a 16-player practice squad. Its members do everything that the members of the 53-man active roster do except play in games.
PHILIP RIVERS ON HIS RETURN TO THE NFL: ‘I KIND OF THOUGHT THAT SHIP HAD SAILED’
On Saturday, the Colts announced they had signed Rivers to their active roster. Indianapolis had an open spot for the quarterback after it placed former Auburn All-American Braden Smith on injured reserve. The Colts’ right offensive tackle came out of the previous game with a concussion and a neck injury, and he was not able to practice this week.
At his Friday press conference, Colts coach Shane Steichen declined to name a starting quarterback, saying the coaching staff would work toward that decision now that Rivers had completed his preparation on the practice field for Sunday’s game.
During the week, Rivers took snaps with Indianapolis’ first-team offense, as did former Fairhope High School star Riley Leonard.
“He’s got great command in the huddle,” Steichen said of Rivers’ practices. “He was throwing it well. So, yeah, we’re excited for it. I mean, he’s fired up for the challenge, obviously, getting back into it, getting back into the fold. Feeling the pass rush, got some good work in that, just moving around seeing the defense. It was good. …
“I mean, a guy that hasn’t been out there in five years, to go out and practice the way he did this week was pretty impressive to watch.”
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The Colts lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending Achilles-tendon injury in Sunday’s 36-19 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and finished the game with Leonard at quarterback. The sixth-round rookie completed 18-of-29 passes for 145 yards with no touchdowns and one interception and ran two times for 5 yards and one touchdown.
In reaction to Jones’ injury, and with backup quarterback Anthony Richardson on injured reserve with a fractured orbital bone, Indianapolis stunned the football world by signing Rivers, who made the most recent of his 256 NFL appearances at quarterback on Jan. 9, 2021.
CAM NEWTON: PHILIP RIVERS’ COMEBACK ‘A SLAP IN MY FACE’
Rivers is among the five players in NFL history with at least 60,000 passing yards, 400 touchdown passes and a passing-efficiency rating of 95 or higher, joining Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers.
Rivers also is among the modern-era semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. By joining the Indianapolis active roster, Rivers is no longer eligible for consideration. Because players must be inactive for five complete seasons before enshrinement, Rivers won’t be eligible for consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame until the Class of 2031, if he doesn’t play beyond this season.
Five players have thrown a pass in an NFL regular-season game after turning 44 years old – Brady, George Blanda, Steve DeBerg, Warren Moon and Vinnie Testaverde.
The Colts and Seahawks square off at 3:25 p.m. CST Sunday at Lumen Field in Seattle. The weather forecast calls for a rainy game.
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