Already bringing in veteran defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, the Colts are importing another former Chiefs interior D-lineman. Jerry Tillery signed with the team today.
Indianapolis returns starters DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart, but Nnadi and Tillery — the latter a 53-game starter and a former first-round pick — will be in place to supply depth.
The Colts are Tillery’s fifth NFL team. The former Chargers first-rounder — the No. 28 overall pick in 2019 — has also played for the Raiders and Vikings before a 2025 Chiefs commitment. Kansas City used Tillery mostly as a backup in its Chris Jones-fronted D-tackle corps, giving the 29-year-old defender three starts in 17 appearances. Tillery, though, started 11 games with the Vikings in 2024.
This marks a return to Indiana for Tillery, whose Notre Dame career booked him that first-round draft slot. A Louisiana native, Tillery played for the Fighting Irish from 2015-18 and closed his career with a second-team All-American nod. While Tillery racked up eight sacks during his final season in South Bend, he has not justified a first-round investment. The Colts have given chances to this type of player at this position recently, however, having employed Taven Bryan during the Chris Ballard regime.
Tillery has 14.5 career sacks in seven seasons, topping out at 4.5 with the 2021 Chargers. Pro Football Focus graded the veteran D-tackle outside the top 100 among qualified options during his season in Kansas City and 89th overall during his Minnesota season. Given a longer runway as a starter in Los Angeles (29 starts), the 295-pound defender logged 10 in Las Vegas from 2022-23.
Beyond the first-round investment, Tillery’s most notable NFL transaction came when the Raiders claimed him off waivers in November 2022. When the Bolts cut him, eight teams submitted claims. Then employing former Chargers DC Gus Bradley, the Colts were one of them. Now with Lou Anarumo running the defense, Ballard’s team will circle back. Indy has now added Nnadi, Tillery and Colby Wooden (from the Packers in a trade that sent Zaire Franklin to Green Bay) at DT this month.
On the subject of Notre Dame alums, former Fighting Irish basketball player Carson Towt also joined the team as a UDFA. The Colts announced that signing Tuesday as well. A seven-year college hoops career wrapped for Towt this month, as he closed out a 31-game season with the Fighting Irish. The Colts plan to try Towt at tight end.
Because Towt’s football eligibility expired before last year, per the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson, he can sign with a team before the draft. The 6-foot-7 forward started 31 games for the ACC team, averaging 5.9 points and nine rebounds per game.
The season prior with Northern Arizona, Towt pulled down a Big Sky-leading 12.4 boards per game to go with 13.3 points per contest. Granted, the Lumberjacks play in a lower-level conference, but the Colts have certainly experienced success with this type of investment before. Mo Alie-Cox, who played collegiately at VCU, is going into his 10th Indianapolis season. The veteran tight end re-signed with the team last week.
In other Colts contract news on the defensive line, Arden Key‘s recent agreement — reported as a $20MM max-value pact — is worth $16MM over two years. Fellow edge rusher Micheal Clemons is joining the team on a three-year, $17MM deal; the ex-Jet’s contract carries $5.99MM guaranteed at signing, per OverTheCap. $1MM of Clemons’ $3.87MM 2027 base salary becomes fully guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2027 league year, with Erickson adding the fifth-year D-end is also due $1MM roster bonuses on Day 5 of the 2027 and ’28 league years.