Colts versatile pass rusher Dayo Odeyingbo looks like he could sign a lucrative multi-year contract this upcoming free agency. Will it be with Indianapolis though?
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Indianapolis Colts soon-to-be free agent defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo could be poised to receive a major payday by whichever NFL suitor he ultimately signs with—”receiving more money than initially thought”:
Dayo Odeyingbo
Edge · Age 25
There are a bunch of veteran, big-name edge rushers available in free agency — Khalil Mack, Matt Judon, Haason Reddick, Chase Young and Josh Sweat, to name a few — and Odeyingbo could end up with as big a payday as any of them. A second-round pick (54th overall) out of Vanderbilt in the 2021 NFL Draft, Odeyingbo took on a larger role in his fourth season and led the Colts with 50 QB pressures, per Next Gen Stats. He’s one of just six players with 30-plus QB hits and fewer than 20 starts over the past two seasons. And he is still only 25 years old. Teams often bet big on upside in crucial areas like edge rushing, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see Odeyingbo land a deal in the range of $16 million to $20 million per year.
Dayo Odeyingbo is about to be a very rich man. https://t.co/1C3Hm28zcf
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 5, 2025
Along with starting right guard Will Fries, Odeyingbo is one of the top Colts’ free agents around their prime set to hit this year’s free agent market, curiously without a contract extension already in place.
The former 2021 2nd round pick of the Colts, who was First-Team All-SEC with Vanderbilt, is coming off a 2024 season for Indianapolis in which he recorded 31 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 42 QB pressures, 7 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery during 17 games (14 starts). However, he’s just a year removed from a season in which he had 8.0 sacks.
Still only 25-years-old, Odeyingbo is a long-armed, athletic pass rusher with the versatility to play inside and out along the defensive line and theoretically, may be just entering his prime. He’s a young upside free agent target for some defensive line depleted teams out there—particularly those looking for a needed pass rushing boost.
Known for retaining their own, it’s an interesting question as to why longtime Colts general manager Chris Ballard hasn’t elected to sign a long-term contract extension with Odeyingbo because if Indianapolis wants to retain him, it sounds like the price has only gone up.
