According to NFL Insider Jordan Schultz , the Indianapolis Colts are signing Tennessee Titans free agent edge Arden Key to a 2-year, $20 million deal (with $11 million guaranteed):
Originally a 2018 3rd round pick of the Raiders franchise, the 6,’5”, 240 pound edge rusher is coming
off a season for the Titans defense in which he recorded 22 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 33 QB pressures, and 6 tackles for loss during 12 games (9 starts) in 2025. As Schultz points out, Key has 30.5 career sacks during his prior 8 NFL seasons—having also played for the San Francisco 49ers and Jacksonville Jaguars organizations.
Per PFF, this past season, Key earned a +63.7 overall grade, which ranked him 70th among 115 qualifying edge defenders, which was highlighted by a +71.1 run defense grade.
With Kwity Paye, Samson Ebukam, and Tyquan Lewis all free agents, the Colts are expected to revamp their current group at defensive end, allegedly seeking to get younger and more athletic along their front-seven publicly. However, at 29-years-old, Key doesn’t actually seem to check off either of those two boxes.
To me, Key doesn’t necessarily seem like a full-time starter at this juncture of free agency for the Colts, but rather as a rotational edge, who can make an instant impact off the bench.
However, we’ll have to wait-and-see their other moves—with a lot of free agency still left to go for Indianapolis.
