Arden Key

Arden Key Jr. (born May 3, 1996) is an American professional football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers, and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft.

Early life Key attended Hapeville Charter Career Academy in Union City, Georgia. He recorded 15.5 sacks as a senior, eight as a junior and 12 as a sophomore. He committed to Louisiana State University (LSU) to play college football.

Regarded as a four-star recruit by ESPN, Key was ranked as the No. 6 defensive end prospect in the class of 2015.

College career As a true freshman at LSU in 2015, Key played in 12 games and started the final nine. He recorded 41 tackles and five sacks and was named a freshman All-American. As a sophomore in 2016, he set a single-season school record by recording 12 sacks. He earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors from the Associated Press. As a junior in 2017, Key was limited to 8 games due to injury, but finished with 33 tackles, 4 sacks, and a forced fumble. On January 4, 2018, Key officially announced that he would be entering the 2018 NFL draft.

Professional career Pre-draft

Prior to Key's junior season, he was projected as the number one overall prospect for the 2018 NFL Draft by Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports. In January 2018, he was ranked as the number two draft prospect at the outside linebacker position, behind Tremaine Edmunds of Virginia Tech, by Mel Kiper of ESPN. Key was projected to be an early first round selection, but his off-the-field issues caused his draft stock to plummet.

Oakland / Las Vegas Raiders Key was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the third round as the 87th pick overall. He played all 16 games during the 2018 season.

Key played seven games in the 2019 season. After having two sacks in his final two games, Key suffered a broken foot and was ruled out the rest of the season. He was placed on injured reserve on November 7, 2019.

Key played 14 games during the 2020 season, missing two games due to illness. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on November 18, 2020, and activated three days later. On December 26, 2020, in a Week 16 home game against the Miami Dolphins, Key committed a 15-yard personal foul penalty when he grabbed the facemask of Dolphin QB Ryan Fitzpatrick on a play where the Dolphins gained 34 yards; the penalty and catch put Miami in field goal range and Miami hit one from 44 yards to earn a 26-25 win, which eliminated the Raiders from playoff contention.

Key was waived on April 15, 2021.

San Francisco 49ers On April 23, 2021, Key signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers. He played all 17 games of the 2021 season.

Jacksonville Jaguars On March 30, 2022, Key signed a one-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played in all 17 games with three starts, recording 27 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

Tennessee Titans

On March 20, 2023, Key signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Tennessee Titans. He played in 17 games with nine starts during the 2023 season, recording 30 tackles, six sacks, and two forced fumbles.

On July 30, 2024, Key was suspended 6 games for violating the NFL's policy against performance–enhancing drugs. However, Key successfully appealed the ban, and his suspension was overturned on August 17. He played 16 games during the 2024 season, only missing the last game due to injury. He finished with a career high of 42 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 18 pressures, and a pass deflection.

Indianapolis Colts On March 12, 2026, Key signed with the Indianapolis Colts on a two-year, $20 million contract with $11 million guaranteed.

NFL career statistics Legend Bold Career high

Regular season Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Comb Solo Ast TFL Sck PD Int Yds FF FR 2018 OAK 16 10 30 21 9 4 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 2019 OAK 7 0 4 3 1 2 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 2020 LV 14 0 15 10 5 2 0.0 2 0 0 0 0 2021 SF 17 0 22 11 11 5 6.5 1 0 0 0 0 2022 JAX 17 3 27 16 11 5 4.5 2 0 0 0 1 2023 TEN 17 9 30 17 13 4 6.0 2 0 0 2 0 2024 TEN 16 15 42 24 18 11 6.5 1 0 0 2 1 2025 TEN 12 9 22 9 13 6 4.0 0 0 0 0 0 Career 116 46 192 111 81 39 30.5 8 0 0 4 2 Postseason Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Comb Solo Ast TFL Sck PD Int Yds FF FR 2021 SF 3 0 2 1 1 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 2022 JAX 2 0 2 1 1 0 0.0 1 0 0 0 0 Career 5 0 4 2 2 0 0.0 1 0 0 0 0