Veteran Colts Linebacker Signs With Bucs

The Indianapolis Colts had a linebacker poached by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with three games left to play.

Indianapolis Colts middle linebacker Anthony Walker (54) walks off the field after a win as the Chicago Bears host the Indianapolis Colts at Soldier Field in Chicago on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 | Colin Boyle/IndyStar via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are signing veteran linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. off the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad, allowing Walker to play on an active roster with three games left in the regular season.

Walker signed with the Colts' practice squad on September 1 and had spent the entire season there until this point. Walker was a fifth-round pick in the 2017 draft, spending the first four years of his career in Indy.

Tampa Bay is signing linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. off the Indianapolis practice squad, per source. Walker’s been in Indy all year.

— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) December 15, 2025

The Northwestern product was a beast in the Big 10, recording 278 total tackles, 39.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and 2 touchdowns in three seasons played.

After leaving the Colts in 2021 free agency, Walker had a three-year stint with the Cleveland Browns and spent last season with the Miami Dolphins. He has not appeared in any games for the Colts this season.

Walker has appeared in 99 games (83 starts) in his career, racking up 581 total tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 21 passes defended, 4 interceptions, and a pair of forced fumbles.

Sep 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (6) runs onto the field before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The 30-year-old will fly to Tampa Bay as the Bucs aim to hold off the Carolina Panthers to claim a fifth consecutive NFC South title. Walker spent the offseason in Tampa after signing as an unrestricted free agent, but the veteran was released due to an injury during final roster cuts in August.

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Walker is most remembered for playing alongside Shaquille Leonard from 2018-20 in Indy. The duo was not to be messed with, wreaking havoc every week.

Walker was a part of the Colts' 2020 playoff squad with Philip Rivers, but that was the last postseason game he's played. If the Bucs make the playoffs, Walker will have an opportunity to play mid-January football for the first time in half a decade.

Anthony Walker jokes that he traded some very cold weather in Indy for some very nice weather here in Tampa Bay: pic.twitter.com/5ySGeDfzOg

— River Wells (@riverhwells) December 15, 2025

As of now, the Bucs and Panthers both have a 7-7 record. The two rivals will play each other twice over the next three weeks, and those games will undoubtedly determine who walks away with the division title.

According to the Buccaneers' official depth chart, Walker is the second-string linebacker behind Lavonte David. If anything, Walker can be a valuable special-teams player for Tampa as they make their final postseason push.

The Colts seem to have their linebacker corps figured out, with Germaine Pratt and Zaire Franklin leading the way. Indy was starting Joe Bachie at the beginning of the season but quickly waived him after a few weeks.