Coming off of a “great offseason,” Colts’ defensive end Kwity Paye is excited to get the upcoming season underway.
“It was a great offseason for me,” said Paye after Thursday’s practice. “Mentally, physically, I’m just ready to go. I’m excited to go. I’m ready to go out there and play.”
Each season in the NFL, Paye’s production has increased. This included posting a career-high 8.5 sacks in 2023, along with being PFF’s 11th highest-graded edge rusher against the run.
But what made this offseason different from the previous ones for Paye was the amount of work that he put into it, and in part, that motivation was sparked by not wanting to have any regrets at the end of the season.
“That’s where you prepare for the season,” said Paye of the offseason. “So for me, I was doing like four or five workouts a day. I was doing extra cardio in the morning. I was doing the lift and the line work, then Pilates and hot yoga and PT and just making sure I stay on top of it. Making sure I’m ready to go. I lost 15 pounds, and I gained some muscle.”
Paye added that last year his playing weight was around 270 but he wanted to be in the 260-262 range.
“I was feeling a little heavy and you could definitely feel it late into the game–long drives you could feel it,” Paye said. I just want to make sure I’m on the field as much as I can. Making sure I can bend the corner and making sure I’m slim. I just feel good right now.
In addition to wanting to have no regrets and feeling that he needed to slim down, Paye mentioned that the Colts decision to pick up his fifth-year option for the 2025 season was a big motivator as well.
“Motivation went through the roof,” said Paye. “Confidence went through the roof and I was just talking to the guys over there, watching the show ‘Receiver,’ and Davante Adams talking about, man when they gave me my second contract, that big contract, his confidence went through the roof because he’s like ‘I’m that guy now.’
“Like the team sees him as that guy, so he has to be that guy. The confidence goes through the roof and I feel like they picked up my fifth-year for a reason. I’m not just out here to be another guy.”
Paye is a part of what has become a very deep and what should be highly disruptive defensive line rotation. Last year, the Colts recorded the fifth-most sacks in the NFL, however, an area where they will need to improve up front is in the consistency in which they pressure the quarterback.
Although they totaled 51 sacks, they also ranked 23rd in pressure rate. Statistically speaking, in order to replicate those sack numbers again, they’ll have to get after the quarterback more often.
Paye’s sack totals have increased each year he’s been in the NFL. Couple that with what has been a highly productive offseason, and Paye has his sights set on getting double-digit sacks this season.
“I had (4.0) sacks as a rookie, (6.0) as a sophomore, and now 8.5 in my third season,” Paye told the Draft Network’s Justin Melo recently. “I definitely want to get at least 10.5 sacks this year. I’m really shooting for 12-15 sacks, but double digits is the goal at the end of the day. I have to get there this year.”