Indianapolis Colts defensive end Kwity Paye will be with the team at least through the 2025 NFL season. On Thursday, the team announced they have picked up the fifth-year option on the former Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman. He will be under contract for the Colts for the next two seasons unless he signs a contract extension.
“On the edge, (he) does things right, comes to work every day, you know what you’re going to get, highly respected by all of his teammates and I believe, and I think all of our coaches and even this organization – there is another level for him,” Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said, per the Colts official website. “In this short period of time, you can see that in his mind too. He’s excited about (defensive line coach) Charlie (Partridge) in there and learning some different things right there for him. You can just feel like Kwity, like we said with rushers – sometimes it can take some time. We think he’s in a good space right now just in my visits with him.”
Kwity Paye has made a major impact with the Colts
Paye was selected by the Colts at No. 21 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, Paye recorded 32 tackles, three tackles for loss and four sacks in 15 games. Paye’s production in 2021 led to him being named to the All-Rookie Team.
In 2022, Paye registered 45 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and six sacks in 12 games. He had a breakout year in 2023, tallying 52 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
“Kwity is a really good football player,” general manager Chris Ballard said last week. “He had 8.5 sacks last year, plays the crap out of the run, he’s a great teammate. I think you know our philosophy; we want to keep as many of our own guys as we can. We like Kwity a lot.”
Before the start of the 2023 season, Paye talked about making a huge impact because of the time his first in 2021 and 2022. “I’ve missed so many games in my first and second years. I missed a week of camp my first year, I missed a week of camp my second year,” Paye said. “This year, my big thing is so – I’m starving. I really just want to get back on the field and prove myself to this team. I want to prove our general manager [Chris Ballard] right for picking me in the first round.”
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