Colts Sign Former Chargers Safety After Three-Year NFL Retirement

The Indianapolis Colts are not done reshaping their secondary. Indianapolis signed Nasir Adderley on Tuesday, adding the former Los Angeles Chargers safety to a group that already includes Jonathan Owens and Juanyeh Thomas from earlier free agency moves.

It is the team's third safety addition of the offseason and comes with the 2026 NFL Draft just around the corner. What makes this one different is the backstory.

Adderley walked away from the NFL after the 2022 season, wrapping up his rookie deal with the Chargers and choosing retirement at 28. Over the next three years, he leaned into family life and his own business ventures.

But in February, he posted on social media confirming what a lot of people suspected, he was coming back. He said health and family had come first during that time away, but admitted something was still pulling him toward the game.

During his five seasons in Los Angeles, the safety played in 50 games with 44 starts, recording 12 pass breakups, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. He was a second-round pick in 2019 and showed enough in stretches to keep people interested. His final season with the Chargers was a bit of a mixed bag, though.

He surrendered 13 catches on 20 targets and posted the highest yards-per-reception allowed of his career at 13.2. The flip side is he still came away with two interceptions, two pass breakups and his best missed tackle rate at 12.5 percent according to PFF.

Now he steps into a crowded room in Indianapolis. With Owens Thomas and Hunter Wohler already on the roster, the competition for the starting spot alongside Cam Bynum is wide open. Nobody has a clear edge right now and the front office seems fine with that.

For Adderley specifically, most of his NFL experience is at free safety and he has been out of the league for three full seasons.

This feels like general manager Chris Ballard taking a low-risk look at a former premium pick who still has something to prove. A spot on the final 53-man roster is far from guaranteed but the opportunity is there.

Related: NFL Legend Tom Brady Announces Move Away From Football

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 2:28 PM.