REPORT: Colts Could Lose Up and Coming Defender

The Jacksonville Jaguars will have many difficult decisions must be made this offseason. However, they are not the only ones who do.

Oct 15, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive end Samson Ebukam (52) pressures Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) during the first half at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars have found their next head coach, Liam Coen, who was recently announced as the team's leader. The Jaguars had one of the best overall situations and have many reasons to be excited with the addition of Coen.

Now the fun begins.

The Jaguars will soon begin to analyze their roster, making the necessary changes after yet another challenging season.

Ben Rolfe of the Pro Football Network believes the Indianapolis Colts will have a difficult decision on a player of their own after edge rusher Samson Ebukam followed up the best season of his career. The talented player flashed his potential two seasons ago, but a season-ending injury, combined with his contract, could lead to him being cut.

"The Indianapolis Colts are another team that does not need to make many cuts for cap-space purposes, but with just under $30 million in cap space, a couple of moves would not hurt," Rolfe said. "The decision with Samson Ebukam, who missed all of 2024 with an injury, will be tough.

"Ebukam had a strong 2023 season with 9.5 sacks and 21 pressures in 17 games. Those numbers are pretty good for the price they are paying him, but they have other strong options. Kwity Paye led the team with eight sacks in 15 games in 2024, and rookie Laiatu Latu had a solid start to his career with 4.0 sacks."

Rolfe noted what makes the Colts' decision so tricky: no matter what they decide, they will base their decision on either the player's best or worst season. The Colts have reason to consider bringing Ebukam because of his production when he was healthy.

However, a season-ending injury raises front-office concerns when considering whether or not to bring the cut or keep a player, and rightfully so. Still, in Ebukam's case, the Colts could be letting a talented player leave, who would likely have a job quickly, if they were to cut him.

"The problem for the Colts with Ebukam is that 2023 was a career year, and now they face uncertainty after he missed an entire season with an injury," Rolfe said. "Therefore, making a financial decision based on that one year of success might not be wise. Additionally, if the Colts do cut him, there will likely be another team ready to pick him up almost immediately."

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