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Despite taking defensive end Laiatu Latu with the 15th-overall pick in last weeks draft, the Indianapolis Colts aren’t giving up on Kwity Paye.
They proved as much on Thursday, when they picked up Paye’s 5th-year option, ensuring he will be on the roster in 2025 and earning him a nice payday of around $13.38 million. Paye, the 4th-year edge rusher out of Michigan, has been solid but unspectacular for the Colts since they took him 21st-overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has improved his sack numbers in each year he has played, going from 4 in his rookie season to 6 in his sophomore year, before again setting a new personal best last season with 8.5. He has also contributed 129 total tackles, with 79 solo, through his first 3 years.
Paye clearly also has fans in the building, with Colts DC Gus Bradley voicing his support, saying “You talk about trust, right? There’s a man that you trust. … I believe, and I think all of our coaches and even this organization, there’s another level for him.”
Unfortunately, Paye has left something to be desired when it comes to getting to the QB, much like most Colts defensive linemen not named DeForest Buckner. This has been especially evident in crunch time, when the Colts defensive line frequently has been ineffective. With this move, Paye gets more time to prove to the Colts that he can be a true threat on the edge.
During Thursday’s edition of The Ride With JMV, Mike Chappell of CBS4 and FOX59 joined the show, and gave his thoughts on the Colts picking up Paye’s 5th-year option.
“I thought they would do that. First of all, there’s a history of taking care of their own, when their own deserves to be taken care of. Kwity’s played well! Is he a great player right now? No, and you’d lke to have seen him emerge quicker. We talked to Gus Bradley yesterday, and he said sometimes pass rushers take longer to emerge, or maybe this is who Kwity Paye is…We need to listen, especially when it comes to resigning their own. By and large, they’ve been right on the guys they’ve resigned.”
Listen to JMV’s full conversation with Mike Chappell down below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
