Could the Colts be a ‘best fit’ for a pair of former veteran NFL Pro Bowlers? Well, it really depends on who you ask!
According to CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin and Garrett Podell, the Indianapolis Colts are among the league teams that are a best fit for a pair of former Pro Bowl veteran free agents: quarterback Kirk Cousins (who’s expected to be released by the Atlanta Falcons at some point this offseason), as well as Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt:
5. Kirk Cousins
Age: 37 | Season: 9th | Current Team: Atlanta Falcons
Benched for Michael Penix Jr. late in 2024, Cousins was meant to be the missing piece for a playoff contender in Atlanta, but he proved unusually streaky coming off a torn Achilles. Another year removed from the injury might help him rediscover his touch, but it’s safe to wonder how much juice he has left in his arm. More steady than spectacular during a six-year run with the Minnesota Vikings, he’s at least likely to come at a discount, given the Falcons will be absorbing a hefty price if/when they release him.
Projected AAV: $1 million-$1.5 million
Best fits: Browns, Colts, Jets
Prediction: Signs one-year, $1.5 million deal with Cleveland Browns
7. Kareem Hunt
Age: 30 | Season: 9th | Current Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Kareem Hunt was brought in during the 2024 season to be a stopgap for the injured Isiah Pacheco after Pacheco suffered a broken fibula in Week 2 this season, but he became one of the NFL’s most efficient rushers at age 29.
A successful run is analytically defined by gaining at least 40% of the yards required on first down (4 yards on a first-and-10 for example), 60% of the yards required on second down and moving the chains for a first down on either a third- or fourth-down carry. The metric of rushing success rate is the amount of those successful runs divided by the overall number of rushing attempts a player has. Among 23 players who had at least 200 carries this pasts season, Hunt’s 55.5% rushing success rate on his exactly 200 carries for 728 yards and seven touchdowns is the third-best in the entire league.
Hunt may no longer be the bell cow back he was as a rookie in 2017, but he can be a nice complement for many offenses around the NFL.
Spotrac projected AAV: $1.2 million-$3.3 million
Best team fits: Chiefs, Colts, Bengals, Bears
Regarding Cousins, if the expectation is that he’d be signed as another veteran starting stopgap, joining the likes of Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and Matt Ryan on a growing list of attempts, for what’s been a turnstile at the Colts quarterback position, then the answer should be an obvious no going forward.
There’s no question that the Colts need legitimate quarterback competition to push projected 3rd-year starter Anthony Richardson during this year’s training camp—which longtime general manager Chris Ballard has already indicated as much.
However, that’s more likely to come in the form of a top NFL backup quarterback such as Justin Fields, Jacoby Brissett, or Jameis Winston—all of whom are set to become free agents. While the Colts want to challenge Richardson, the hope is that he ultimately wins the job outright on the merit during a legitimate offseason quarterback competition.
After inking a 4-year, $180 million dollar deal with the Falcons last offseason (with a whopping $100M guaranteed), the 36-year-old Cousins is likely ‘one and done’ in Atlanta after a highly disappointing debut campaign—as the team transitions to 2024 first round pick, Michael Penix, a little sooner than initially expected.
During 14 starts, the 4x NFL Pro Bowler Cousins completed 303 of 453 pass attempts (66.9%) for 3,508 total passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, and 16 interceptions.
If the price is cheap enough, and Cousins is open to becoming a backup, then maybe the Colts could consider it, but given his advanced football age and lack of mobility (especially in contrast to Richardson’s dynamic playing style), and there should be better options. The Colts aren’t expected to bring veteran free agent Joe Flacco back for similar reasons next year—who admittedly looked a bit long in the tooth this past season at 39-years-old.
Meanwhile, in the wake of Isiah Pacheco’s fractured fibula injury, the 29-year-old Kareem Hunt had a renaissance season after being re-signed by the franchise that originally drafted him back in 2017 and where he was formerly a Pro Bowler, the Kansas City Chiefs.
In 13 games (8 starts) helping to fill in for the AFC Champions’ offense, the veteran running back rushed for 728 total rushing yards on 200 carries (3.6 ypc. avg.) and 7 rushing touchdowns, as well as caught 23 receptions for 176 total receiving yards.
Most Colts fans agree that Indianapolis needs to improve at their primary backup running back spot behind star workhorse Jonathan Taylor—presumably with a back that can catch and block at a dependable and productive level (which aren’t key strengths of Taylor).
Hunt has consistently shown that throughout his 8-year NFL career, but would the veteran want to withstand what’s likely another transition year in Indy or try to latch on with an NFL contender again? Or perhaps Indy would elect for a younger and more cost efficient backup running back through the upcoming NFL Draft all together—with a bit more juice?
Hunt seems a little more realistic than Cousins at this stage, but neither seems very likely.
