Eye-Popping Stat Shows Impact of New Colts Signing

The Indianapolis Colts made two major moves to improve their defense on the first day of the NFL's free agency tampering period. One of those signings was cornerback Charvarius Ward, a seven-year veteran and Super Bowl champion.

Ward, who will turn 29 in May, was regarded as one of the top available corners on the market this offseason. The Colts signed him to a 3-year deal worth up to $60 million to solidify their secondary following a rough 2024 season.

One of the Colts' biggest issues last season was missed tackles. Indy ranked dead last in the league in terms of missed tackle percentage, meaning opponents were running freely through the defense.

Thankfully, Ward helps solve that problem. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Ward has had the lowest missed tackle percentage of all players since he entered the league in 2018 (5.6%).

Charvarius Ward has missed just 5.6% of his tackle attempts since entering the league in 2018, the lowest missed tackle rate in the NFL (min. 300 tackle attempts).

Ward has missed less than 10% of his tackle attempts in every season of his career.@Colts | #ForTheShoe https://t.co/z1wbxi8LKE pic.twitter.com/t1QyKxICbG
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 11, 2025

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Entering Week 18, the Colts had 149 missed tackles on the year. That mark was the most in the league. Over the past two seasons, linebackers E.J. Speed and Zaire Franklin have combined for 92 missed tackles by themselves.

Hopefully, Ward can solidify the fundamentals on Lou Anarumo's defense. During the 2022 season, Ward made 87 tackles without missing a single one. Since 2018, no other player has been able to tally even 40 tackles on a season without missing one (h/t @colts_report | X).

The Colts had the highest missed tackle rate of all 32 NFL teams last season. pic.twitter.com/Pi8WethBzI
— John (@colts_report) March 11, 2025

The Colts will enter the 2025 season with reinforcements on the defensive side of the ball. Ward, along with safety Cam Bynum, could turn around Indy's pass defense in the blink of an eye thanks to consistent, reliable play.

Watch out for any more signings the Colts could make during free agency, such as former Cincinnati Bengals safety Vonn Bell. Anarumo seems determined to revamp his group, and Colts fans are all for it.

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