Other teams have begun doing homework on Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network said in a segment he posted Thursday.
On Tuesday, the Colts traded eight-time Pro Bowl guard Quenton Nelson to the Seattle Seahawks for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Hours later, three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner went back to the San Francisco 49ers for a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Both deals came eight days after the 2-5 Colts fired general manager Chris Ballard, who had run the front office since 2017. Assistant general manager Ed Dodds took over on an interim basis.
Indianapolis does not own its 2027 first-round pick, which belongs to the New York Jets.
The next name on outside teams’ lists is seven years younger than Buckner.
“The Colts sort of brought this on themselves in that everything must go is the way that people are thinking, and it’s not necessarily the case there for the Colts,” Garafolo said. “They still have a mind toward what’s happening moving forward. But everybody’s being checked out now, and I know some teams are doing homework on defensive tackle [Adetomiwa Adebawore].”
“He is a former fourth-round pick that’s really turned the corner and has been disruptive inside,” Garafolo continued. “And I know that if he’s made available, this is a guy that the other teams might want to be able to pry away from the Colts. In the meantime, he could still be a piece of what’s happening in Indianapolis.”
The Colts drafted him 110th overall out of Northwestern in 2023.
Through seven games, he has four sacks, the same number he had across all of 2025. He had two of them in Sunday’s 16-10 loss at the Minnesota Vikings. Five tackles and a pass defensed filled out his line.
He started seven of the 17 games he played in 2025. That season ended with 36 tackles and six quarterback hits.
Like Nelson and Buckner, Adebawore is playing on an expiring contract. He is in the final year of a four-year, $4.6 million rookie deal that pays him a $1.145 million base salary in 2026.
He is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Garafolo described Dodds as a new general manager answering to a new owner.
“It doesn’t allow you a lot of opportunity as an interim GM during the season to make an impact on a roster,” Garafolo explained. “You can’t sign big ticket free agents. That doesn’t happen this time of year. You can’t draft anybody. That doesn’t happen this time of year.”
“So what you can do as a way of showing that you’re capable of the job is look what I’m able to do,” Garafolo added. “I’m able to operate and make some moves and set us up for future success via the draft capital that we’re getting in exchange.”
Wide receiver Josh Downs asked for a trade Wednesday. Coach Shane Steichen said running back Jonathan Taylor has not.
The Colts play at the Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday and host the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 8. Trading closes two days later, at 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 10.
