Indianapolis Colts third-year EDGE Kwity Paye enjoyed a career-best season in 2023. He recorded a personal-high 8.5 sacks as a key part of an outstanding Colts defensive line. Paye is now setting his sights on reaching 10-plus sacks in 2024 as he enters a critical season that will help determine his future.
Paye recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network while discussing his partnership with Campbell's and their new Chunky Spicy Nashville-Style Hot Chicken Soup. Paye discussed why it makes for a perfect post-workout meal, and he also discussed Anthony Richardson, Laiatu Latu, how his pass-rush arsenal has evolved, his contract status, and more.
JM: Campbell's recently launched the new Chunky Spicy Nashville-Style Hot Chicken Soup. It has 13 grams of protein and is seasoned with delicious spices to bring that authentic Southern heat! I just had my first bowl and it’s actually spicy (laughs). What was your initial reaction to tasting the soup for the first time?
Kwity Paye: I actually just had my first bowl as well. It’s a damn good bowl of soup! I grew up in an African household that used a lot of spices, so it was perfect for me. We love our heat (laughs). It reminds me of where I come from.
JM: Those 13 grams of protein make for a great post-workout meal.
Kwity Paye: It definitely does. I’m really big into my diet right now as I prepare for a huge season. I’m staying away from cheat meals and things of that nature. Being able to grab a quick bowl of soup that has a lot of protein after a workout is perfect for me right now. It’s a great way to replenish my body. Campbell’s is getting me right after every workout.
JM: It’s going to work for you because it’s obvious that you know what you’re doing. You've gotten better every single year! You posted a career-high 8.5 sacks this past season. What's led to your consistent improvement?
Kwity Paye: I’ve become a smarter player on the field. I have a better understanding of what to identify on film. I have a ton of teammates in our locker room that I could really feed off of. We talk about our film study and I ask what they’re seeing and vice versa. We play off each other.
It’s been a group effort in terms of where I’ve been able to take my game. The coaching staff has been great. I’ve managed to be a sponge while taking in all the necessary information to improve my game.
JM: Is your first 10-plus sack season the goal in 2024?
Kwity Paye: It definitely is. I had 4.5 sacks as a rookie, 6.5 as a sophomore, and now 8.5 in my third season. I definitely want to get at least 10.5 sacks this year (laughs). 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.
JM: We love that. How has your pass-rush arsenal evolved since you entered the league?
Kwity Paye: My first season, I was playing a little timid as a rookie that just came into the league. You’re playing against veteran offensive linemen and you’re just trying to get your feet wet. Going into that second year, I made the Year Two jump as I got more comfortable. I played with more tenacity.
I have a plan going into every single game now. I try to set things up. They say rushing the passer is like playing Chess and I agree with that. Whatever I give them during the first, second, and third quarter, it’s going to look different in the fourth quarter when we really need that stop. I set my moves up. I know what our game plan is.
JM: Despite already having yourself, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Samson Ebukam, the Colts drafted another pass rusher in Laiatu Latu in the first round. Chris Ballard can’t help himself when it comes to pass rushers (laughs). What's been your first impression of him?
Kwity Paye: He’s a go-getter and a hard worker. He’s all about football, man. All he wants to do is get better every single day. He wants to become the best pass rusher he can possibly be. He’s always asking questions. What did you see here, Kwity? Seeing his attitude coming in, he has the right approach.
He’s very humble and he’s ready to work. It’s great for the room. He fits right in because we’re all humble and ready to put our best foot forward. We all welcome criticism from our teammates and coaches.
We want to be the best defensive line in the league. We’re definitely working towards that. We think we’re capable of achieving that this season.
JM: What a unit you guys have up front. How excited are you to have Anthony Richardson back at QB? Do you feel like he's going to be unstoppable this season?
Kwity Paye: For sure I do. We saw flashes of it last year as a rookie. Of course, we wanted him to play the full season, but things happened. Anthony Richardson bounced back at OTAs. He came back like nothing happened. He was playing smarter and making the right reads. He’s more confident in the pocket.
Gardner Minshew was a great quarterback for us last year, but we did play with our backup QB for most of the season. We were still able to go 9-8 and really fell just one play short of making the playoffs.
Having Anthony Richardson back for 2024, it’s going to be an exciting season for us. I can’t wait to see where we’re able to take this thing. We have a big rivalry game in Week 1 [Houston Texans]. We’re looking forward to that one.
JM: The team triggered your fifth-year option for 2025. Are you hoping to negotiate a long-term extension before then?
Kwity Paye: I’m excited that Chris Ballard picked up my fifth year. I see it as a prove-it thing now more than anything. I want to prove that I’m what this team needs in a pass rusher moving forward.
I’m going to get out there and get the sacks, get the production. After I do that, we’ll have those contract discussions next offseason. For the most part, I’m not really worried about that [this year]. I’m worried about having my best season yet. We'll discuss all that other stuff [contract] next offseason.
JM: We love your focus. We've appreciated your time today. What are your goals with training camp less than one month away?
Kwity Paye: I can’t wait for training camp to get here. It gets more fun every single year. We have the joint practices [with the Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals] coming up as well [Aug. 14-15, Aug. 20]. I love those joint practices. That’s a great switch-up for us because you get tired of practicing against your own guys (laughs).
It’s nice to get your hands on somebody else. I love that coach Steichen sets those practices up. I’m going into training camp ready to stack good days together. I want to build off the year we had last season.
Our defensive line has gotten better every single season I’ve been here. Last year, we broke the franchise single-season sack record for defensive linemen. We want to do it again this year.
We had four guys with 8-plus sacks in 2023. This year, we’re trying to get guys even closer to that number, maybe add more to that number, or maybe we all hit 10+ sacks. We’re excited for what’s to come.