A week after missing out on claiming a running back off waivers, the Colts have added a veteran pass rusher via the waiver process, according to a team press release. Indianapolis has been awarded former Titans outside linebacker Shaun Phillips, the club announced today.
Phillips, 33, played nine seasons for the Chargers before joining the Broncos last season and then signing with the Titans this past March. The veteran inked a two-year, $5MM contract with Tennessee, but wasn’t overly effective in a part-time role this season, recording just a pair of sacks after reaching double-digits in 2013. He was released yesterday by the club.
With the Titans going younger at the linebacker position, the division-rival Colts are the beneficiaries, snagging Phillips off waivers in the hopes that he can contribute to a pass rush that has been a little lacking at times this season. While the Colts have recorded a respectable 28 sacks as a team, only a handful have come from their outside linebackers, a group that has been without injured Pro Bowler Robert Mathis all year.
The Colts, who put in a claim for Ben Tate last week, but missed out on him to the Vikings, waived linebacker Victor Butler to make their claim of Phillips official. Butler, having been signed earlier this week, had only been with the team for two days before being cut, though he has been off and on the roster multiple times this season, and could return at some point.