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Colts Cover-2 Podcast: Colts improve to 5-1, defeat Cardinals 31-27

The latest ‘Colts Cover-2 Podcast’ is up. Join insider Joel A. Erickson and sports editor Nat Newell as they recap the Colts’ 31-27 win over the Arizona Cardinals—> https://youtu.be/GxeYREah7So

Who do you like at pass rusher? Bradley Chubb, Zaven Collins, Arden Key or Jaelen Phillips?Cornerback is a position of needColts play at Los Angeles Chargers at 4:05 p.m. Sunday

Contending teams like the Indianapolis Colts have until the Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline to bolster their rosters.

Per Over the Cap, the Colts have $6 million in cap space to work with. Injuries in the secondary have made cornerback a position of need. The Colts also need help at pass rusher, a veteran backup quarterback and another running back to ease Jonathan Taylor’s load as the season progresses.

General manager Chris Ballard has made just one deadline trade in his eight-year tenure, but the Colts currently sit atop the AFC and have a win-now roster with holes to fill, making them a prime candidate to seek improvements.

Here are seven players the Colts could target via trade.

Good teams can never have too many push rushers, and Bradley Chubb is a veteran on a bad team who is rumored to be available. The former No. 4 overall has never replicated the 12 sacks he had as a rookie with the Broncos, but he has four sacks through four games after missing all of 2024. Kwity Paye and Tyquan Lewis lead the Colts with three sacks each. Adding Chubb could free up defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and add another pass rushing threat opposite second-year defensive end Laiatu Latu.

Chubb’s $12 million cap number will be tough to move. He’s signed through 2028 and his cap number balloons to $31 million in 2026. The Dolphins have just $1.9 million in cap space currently, so even if they eat a large portion of Chubb’s remaining salary, there would need to be a lot of moving pieces for Indy and Miami to consummate a deal.

Zaven Collins, Arizona Cardinals, pass rusher

A player heading into his fifth year in the NFL is usually on one of three trajectories. Superstars like Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell and reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II agree to terms on contract extensions before their fifth-year options are exercised. Some players flame out and begin careers as journeymen. Players who can’t agree to terms on an extension have their fifth-year options picked up with an eye toward a long-term deal or reaching free agency.

Collins, the 16th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, is the rare case of a player who had his fifth-year option declined, reached free agency and returned to the team who drafted him on a two-year deal. Collins has a $6 million cap number in 2025 and 2026, but his 2026 salary is not guaranteed. Players in Collins’ draft class without long-term deals such as Greg Newsome II and Odafe Oweh have been traded in recent weeks. Collins has zero sacks in six games this season, but he could be worth a flyer as a pass rusher with a first-round pedigree.

Breece Hall, New York Jets, running back

The New York Jets offense is in a free fall. The Jets had an embarrassing minus-10 net passing yards against the Denver Broncos in Week 6, and their rushing attack wasn’t much better, gaining 91 total yards on 31 carries. Hall has a cap number of $4.3 million and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Veteran Ameer Abdullah has ascended to primary backup ahead of rookie D.J. Giddens and the injured Tyler Goodson. Adding Hall would give the Colts a great insurance policy for Jonathan Taylor, without having to commit long-term money to a backup.

Case Keenum, Chicago Bears, quarterback

The Colts are in need of a veteran backup quarterback with Anthony Richardson going on the injured reserve with an orbital fracture Monday and Case Keenum would fill that void. Keenum is currently the third quarterback in Chicago. The second-string quarterback, Tyson Bagent, signed a two-year extension with the Bears, locking him up through 2027.

The Colts could easily absorb Keenum’s $2.2 million cap number, a small price to pay for a veteran with 66 career starts.

Arden Key, Tennessee Titans, defensive end

Arden Key is a veteran pass rusher on an expiring deal. Key tied his career high with 6.5 sacks in 2024 and his 1.5 sacks are second on the Titans this season. A team going nowhere shouldn’t have much use for a 29-year old pass rusher, so the Titans would do well to get an asset of any kind for a player likelyleaving at the end of the season. He has a $9.2 million cap number, but that could change if he’s traded.

Jaelan Phillips, Miami Dolphins, pass rusher

Phillips had his fifth-year option picked up and is playing on the final year of his rookie deal. The former No. 18 pick of the 2021 NFL Draft entered the league with plenty of upside but a lengthy injury history. Injuries continue to plague Phillips as he’s missed 22 games in his career.

Phillips’ $13.2 million cap number would make him difficult to move, but the Dolphins would be smart to trade for an asset instead of letting him walk in free agency. Trading for Phillips would be a bet solely on upside. Phillips has flashed double-digit sack potential, maybe the Colts and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo could bring it out if him.

L’Jarius Snead, Tennessee Titans, cornerback

Inter-division trades are rare, but the Tennessee Titans are another franchise in chaos after firing head coach Brian Callahan six weeks into the season. The Colts were down to their fourth- and fifth-string corners against the Arizona Cardinals, making cornerback a definite position of need.

Snead is signed through 2027, but he has no guaranteed money left on his deal. The Colts could cut him before March 18 when his $7.5 million salary becomes fully guaranteed. Complicating matters is his $20 million cap number in 2025. The Colts would need to free up around $14 million in cap space to get this deal done, making a trade for Snead highly unlikely. 

Joel A. Erickson covers the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.