The Indianapolis Colts entered the season hoping to generate more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Four games into the season, that need has increased substantially. Indianapolis is adding veteran defensive end Carl Lawson to its roster, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, giving the Colts an experienced pass rusher at a position that has become increasingly thin.
The addition comes at an important time for Indianapolis after starting defensive end Arden Key suffered a hamstring injury during Sunday's 30-13 victory over the Washington Commanders in London. According to ESPN, Key is expected to miss approximately three to four weeks. The 30-year-old started each of Indianapolis' first four games after signing with the Colts during the offseason.
Losing Key only increased the urgency for Indianapolis to address a pass rush that was already searching for more production. The Colts entered the offseason knowing they needed additional help on the edge after recording just 29 sacks during the 2025 season. Laiatu Latu led Indianapolis with 8.5 sacks, but no other Colts defender reached five.
Indianapolis attempted to address that need by signing Key during free agency, but the veteran was originally expected to be part of a rotation rather than carry such a significant workload. The Colts also explored other options throughout the offseason as they looked to build more depth around Latu. Now, with Key sidelined, adding Lawson has become even more important.
The 31-year-old brings considerably more NFL experience than some of the younger options currently behind Key on Indianapolis' depth chart. Lawson has appeared in 90 games during his NFL career, making 34 starts and recording 32 sacks. He originally entered the league as a fourth-round selection by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2017 NFL Draft and immediately established himself as a pass-rush threat.
After recording 8.5 sacks during an impressive rookie season, injuries have prevented Lawson from consistently reaching that level of production. However, he has shown he can still effectively pressure opposing quarterbacks in a rotational role. During the 2024 season with the Dallas Cowboys, Lawson appeared in 15 games and recorded five sacks, 15 quarterback hits and a forced fumble despite starting only three games.
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