Indianapolis Colts' Choice on Safety Malik Hooker's 2021 Option Seems Obvious

Although the 2017 first-round choice out of Ohio State has made a few splash plays in the NFL, he's been inconsistent far too often to be rewarded an additional year with a base salary of $6.7 million.

INDIANAPOLIS — The decision doesn’t qualify as “a no-brainer,” the term Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard used to describe trading a first-round draft choice to acquire All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

But whether or not to pick up the 2021 contract option on safety Malik Hooker shouldn’t be that difficult, right?

If based on a $6.7 million base salary for that fifth year or a lack of consistency shown in the previous three years for the 15th overall selection in 2017’s NFL draft, Hooker hasn’t earned it.

Presuming Ballard respectfully declines, Hooker has the 2020 season to prove he’s worth a lucrative second contract. If not, the Colts move on.

Seems simple, right?

If based strictly on the bottom line, sure. That’s the business.

It pains me to be so rigid. As an Ohio State Buckeyes fan since the Woody Hayes days, I've never seen a more talented ballhawk than Hooker in the scarlet and gray. He inspired more than his share of cheers each year I visited Ohio Stadium.

Ballard’s first selection as Colts GM sure seemed like a great get. But the honest truth is Hooker’s talent hasn’t translated as expected in the NFL. At least not yet.

There have been glimpses of greatness — Hooker’s one-handed interception of Philip Rivers in the 2019 season opener was one of the best picks Colts fans have seen in years. Now Rivers is a teammate, and seeing the quarterback every day in practice can be a reminder of Hooker’s signature NFL play.

But he needs to make more of those.

His career stat line: 34 starts/games played, 14 games lost to injuries, 117 total tackles, 11 passes defended, seven interceptions. His 51 total tackles last season were a career best, seven more than in 2018, when he played one less game.

For a frame of reference, consider NFC’s starting free safety in the 2020 Pro Bowl, Arizona’s Budda Baker. He was drafted in the second round of 2017, 21 picks after Hooker. He’s been to two Pro Bowls, and had a career-high 147 total tackles and six passes defended last season.

Yeah, he made more tackles in 2019 than Hooker has in three years. Baker’s three-year total is 323. The only thing favoring Hooker are seven INTs whereas Baker has none.

Again, this situation is simplified.

Hooker just turned 24 on April 2nd, so he’s still young enough that an eternal optimist could suggest the safety can still be that great player Ballard envisioned. OK, that I envisioned. That Buckeyes fans envisioned, because he was that good in college.

Yeah, stop thinking with the heart. Stick to the head, right?

It’s also disconcerting to sound so bottom line about defensive end/tackle Tyquan Lewis, a 2018 second-round pick out of Ohio State. He’s been hurt too much in his first two seasons, which couldn’t have been more unexpected when considering how he played with a torn labrum that required surgery after his sophomore season. Lewis epitomized toughness.

Now he can’t stay on the field — 17 games played, six starts, 15 games lost to injuries, 18 total tackles, two sacks. Make no mistake, 2020 is make-or-break for him. After three years, an NFL GM should know what he has with a player. If Lewis doesn’t show it next season, Ballard can’t be blamed for moving on.

Hooker has had three years already, so it’s understandable for skeptics to scream the sample size has been large enough. And they would be correct. No disputing that, not really.

It can’t be considered coincidence that Ballard drafted Utah safety Julian Blackmon in the third round of last Friday night’s NFL draft. A former cornerback with range and speed, Blackmon showed enough of the necessary traits to impress the Colts. He just needs to fully recover from ACL surgery, which means finding his footing and trusting his body in what will likely be a limited rookie season. But he’s the next guy in line, if Hooker’s time is limited.

One of the inevitable requirements of a journalist is to set aside any shred of being a fan and always remember the job is to serve fans. That can be put to the test from time to time, especially with Ohio State guys who provided fond memories at “The Horseshoe.” But bias is put aside.

The right decision on Hooker is practically “a no-brainer.”

That said, as ridiculous as this sounds, here’s hoping that the Hooker from a few years ago shows up this fall. If so, everything works out well for everybody.

As unlikely as that might seem, having the slightest hint of hope is better than not possessing any at all.