Colts Lose Arden Key for a Month Because Hamstrings Remain Undefeated

The Indianapolis Colts are going to be without starting pass rusher Arden Key for about a month, proving once again that the human hamstring is the most fragile load-bearing structure on earth.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Tuesday that Key is expected to miss three to four weeks. This clarifies head coach Shane Steichen's incredibly vague Monday update that the defensive end would miss "some time," which in NFL coach-speak usually means anything from a missed practice to a missing limb.

"Head coach Shane Steichen initially told reporters on Monday that Key would miss 'some time.'"

The timing is brutal for Indianapolis. The Colts are coming off a dominant 30-13 road win over the Washington Commanders, a game where the defense looked like it was finally clicking into high gear. Pulling a starting edge rusher out of that equation is a quick way to kill momentum.

Losing a guy like Key for a month is the kind of mid-season speed bump that forces defensive coordinators to get weird with blitz packages. If you are looking at upcoming Colts games, factor in that opposing quarterbacks are about to get an extra half-second in the pocket. That is an eternity in the NFL, and it usually translates to a bump in passing yards for whoever is lining up under center.

Indianapolis now has to patch together a pass rush while Key rehabs. The next month will be a massive test of their defensive depth, and we will see very quickly if they have the bodies to keep the pressure on or if their secondary is about to get hung out to dry.