INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The Indianapolis Colts have been very intentional about the type of player they are bringing in during the season.
Since August, the Colts have acquired veteran defenders Xavien Howard, Mekhi Blackmon, Chad Muma, Anthony Walker, and now Mike Hilton. Each of them was brought in to address an issue with depth or to fill a void created by injury, and while their contributions have come in varying degrees so far, each player — with an average age of 29 — is trusted to be able to provide assistance right away.
When the Colts signed Hilton to their practice squad this week, there was no mystery as to why.
The Colts lost starting slot corner Kenny Moore II late in last week's win over the Tennessee Titans to an Achilles injury, for which they have yet to declare a timetable. Both Moore and Hilton have been among the NFL's most notable slot defenders for the last several years. Hilton just so happened to spend his last four seasons playing for now-Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo while the two were with the Cincinnati Bengals.
"Obviously, me and Lou, we've been together for the last four years, so coming here was a no-brainer," Hilton told reporters this week. "Me knowing the scheme, it's been an easy transition, and obviously, my free agency didn't go like I expected. You know, once I signed with the Dolphins, I felt good, but they decided to move on. You know that's just the nature of the business. So I'm excited to be here and contribute."
Hilton (5'9", 184, 31 years old) spent the summer with the Miami Dolphins. However, after he was released, the Colts hosted and put him through a workout in late August and told him to be on standby in case a situation arose for them, which happened with Moore's injury.
"Just constantly training, staying on top of my P's and Q's," Hilton responded when asked what he's done to stay ready for an opportunity such as this one. "I'm a nine-year veteran, so at some point football is football, so I just got to go out there do my job and make plays."
The question now becomes, how soon can Hilton play? When you ask him, he's ready to roll this week against the Los Angeles Rams if needed.
"Me coming in and playing, you know, a plug-and-play type of guy," Hilton said. "I know the scheme well. So that's a smooth transition. So, now it's just working myself in the football shape and just trying to contribute."
"Oh yeah, for sure," Hilton said when asked if he could play this week. "You know, I'm going to take this week to get my body right, get it going. Obviously, I might not play every snap, but I expect to play a good bit."
Hilton has spent the vast majority of his career in the slot, seeing 5,632 snaps in the box or slot and 231 on the boundary or at free safety, according to Pro Football Focus.
While under Anarumo's coaching, Hilton was known as one of the most productive pass-rushing defensive backs in the NFL, notching 34 quarterback pressures in their time together, with Hilton ranking first and second, respectively, in the NFL among defensive backs in his first two years in Cincinnati.
In 123 career games (56 starts), Hilton has 520 tackles (66 for loss), 11.5 sacks, 32 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, six fumbles recovered, 13 interceptions, 56 pass breakups, and one defensive touchdown.
While Hilton ramps up his conditioning and is getting into football shape this week, the Colts will likely also rely on Blackmon in the slot in Moore's absence. They could even call up fellow veteran Chris Lammons from the practice squad as well.
The key is that the Colts are relying heavily on a veteran presence in the secondary, which helps with the communication and play on the field, but it also helps the players keep each other accountable and educated on what's going on with the defense.
Hilton is joining a cornerback room already featuring veterans Howard (32), Moore (30), and Charvarius Ward Sr. (29), and Hilton sees it not only as an opportunity for them to help him get up to speed, but for him to be able to help them as well with his experience under Anarumo.
"Oh, that would be big," Hilton said. "Obviously, I can help the guys, too, if they're kind of missing some things. So that'll help them in the process, and me, just figuring out how everybody else plays, and we can just learn how to play off each other."
While Hilton insists he's ready to hit the ground running as soon as this week, Anarumo is taking a slightly more cautiously optimistic approach.
“Well, we'll see," Anarumo answered when asked how quickly the Colts can get Hilton ready to play. "Good news is, he did have a preseason somewhat at Miami. Not a ton, but at least he did some things, and we'll see where he's at. We've still got to evaluate him, but the good news is, Mike knows that he's done it for a long time. He's been a high-level player, so we'll see.”
Jake Arthur has been covering the Indianapolis Colts for over a dozen years and is a member of the PFWA. He's one half of the Locked On Colts podcast and has worked for the Colts' official website, On SI, and more. You can follow him on X @JakeArthurNFL.