After spending the last four years in Cincinnati with the Bengals, former Michigan State linebacker Joe Bachie has found a new NFL home.
On Wednesday, the Indianapolis Colts announced that they had signed the 26-year-old five-year NFL veteran linebacker to a free agent deal. This comes right after Bachie played 12 games with Cincinnati in 2024 and recorded just three tackles.
This is his third NFL team.
We have signed free agent LB Joe Bachie.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 7, 2025
Bachie began his career as an undrafted free agent in 2020 with the Philadelphia Eagles and he made it off the practice squad and played in four games, recording two tackles. He then made his way to Cincinnati the next year and played there from 2021-24. In that time, he had 46 tackles and a pass breakup in 47 appearances.
Now, he's joining the Colts which takes him away from his home state of Ohio but he'll have an opportunity to earn a roster spot and potentially even have the biggest impact of his career.
Bachie was a star when he was in East Lansing. He had two 100-tackle seasons in 2017 and 2018 and finished his career with 284 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, eight sacks, five interceptions, 11 pass breakups, and four forced fumbles. He was a productive player and his final season was cut short with an injury as he played in just eight games which led to him going undrafted.
Since being in the league, he's been a plus practice squad player and he's worked his way onto a couple of rosters and it looks like he's about to push for his third.
Indianapolis feels like a good landing spot for the former Michigan State linebacker.