Indianapolis Colts Strong Safety Khari Willis announced his retirement on June 15, 2022. Willis is only 26 years old and had been with the Colts for three seasons. This may seem surprising, but Willis had an incredibly righteous reason behind this. “I have elected to officially retire from the NFL as I endeavor to devote the remainder of my life to the further advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”, Willis said in an Instagram post. As Khari leaves the NFL with a clear mind and full heart, the Colts fanbase wishes him nothing but the best. Willis’s departure leaves the colts with a hole to fill in their uncertain secondary defense. This leaves the Colts with a choice to make in replacing Willis.
Choice One Veteran Experience: Rodney Mcleod
One option is to go the veteran route with Rodney McLeod. The Colts acquired McLeod via free agency. While playing 13 games for the Eagles in 2021 McLeod was able to make 43 solo tackles. Along with solo tackles, according to PFF, McLeod snagged two interceptions. The Defense has made it clear that they value takeaways highly. Although his stats may not jump off the page, McLeod has the intangible quality of leadership. He has a strong passion for the community and I believe that also helps build a strong locker room.
McLeod was the recipient of the NFLPA’s Alan Page Community Award. Chris McPherson said, “As the NFLPA’s highest honor, the Alan Page Community Award annually recognizes one player who demonstrates a profound dedication to positively impacting his team’s city and communities across the country, following in the spirit of the Pro Football Hall of Famer and social pioneer for whom the award is named.”, this kind of selfless attitude is something that can benefit teams in ways unseen.
Choice Two The New Guy: Nick Cross
An alternative could be handing the reins over to rookie Nick Cross. The 96th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Cross racked up 134 tackles, six interceptions, 12 pass breakups, four sacks and three forced fumbles over his three years at Maryland. Cross has proven to be a speedster clocking a 4.34 40 time at the 2022 NFL Combine. Along with speed Cross has shown big-play making ability, with the promise of translating it to the next level.
As most rookies Cross will have some hurdles to clear. His natural instincts are not always sharp which can make him late to plays. Cross’s build does not favor a late reaction, making one bad thing worse. These together may lead to him being burnt by a quick crafty wideout, something the Colts experienced at the worst times last season. With that being said, Cross has some serious potential to fit into a great defense and make a name for himself in this competitive league.
What Will the Colts Do?
There are predictions from experts for both players to win the starting role. The Colts could easily split time between the pair until Cross gets comfortable in the NFL. With guidance from multiple Pro-Bowlers Cross could show improvement at a very fast rate. If everything goes well he will be a steady cog in one of the best defenses in the league, and possibly Cross will be the backbone of defenses to come.
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