Getty Quenton Nelson Signs Massive Extension
The Indianapolis Colts have extended one of their homegrown players less than 24 hours before their first game of the 2022 season.
Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, offensive guard Quenton Nelson has signed a massive contract extension. The four-year deal is worth a reported $80 million, with $60 million guaranteed. The extension makes Nelson the highest-paid guard in NFL history and will keep Nelson in Indianapolis until he turns 30 years old.
Quenton Nelson Is One of the Game’s Top Guards
Nelson was drafted sixth overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2018 NFL draft. Since entering the league, Nelson has been one of the top players at both his position and in the league. Nelson earned All-Pro honors in each of his first three seasons, one of two players to do so over the past 30 years. He has also been selected to four straight Pro Bowls.
In four seasons, Nelson has been charged with only 4.0 sacks and 17 quarterback hits according to Pro Football Focus. He was one of PFF’s top three highest-graded guards in 2019 and 2020 but suffered a down year in 2021 landing at 35th overall.
The Colts were always going to pay Nelson, and general manager Chris Ballard hinted at such last week. Nelson has been a star for the Colts from the beginning of his career and is widely respected throughout the locker room, voted as a captain for the past two seasons. Nelson will now be a staple of Indianapolis’ offense for the foreseeable future.
Nelson’s Contract Dominates Precedence
When negotiating his contract, Nelson surely knew what kind of numbers to expect. Zack Martin, guard for the Dallas Cowboys, was the highest-paid guard with a six-year, $84 million contract and $40 million guaranteed. Joe Thuney of the Chiefs signed a five-year, $80 million contract with nearly $47 million in guarantees.
Nelson’s contract blew both of those out of the water and officially reset the guard market. Nelson will earn $20 million on average annually compared to Martin’s $14 million and Thuney’s $16 million per year. He will also earn $20 million more in guarantees than Martin.
It is unknown what kind of effect this contract will have on the Colts’ salary cap space, but prior to the extension, Indianapolis was set to have the 10th most space in 2023. Ballard knows how important cap space is and should structure Nelson’s contract to be as team-friendly as possible.
Colts Players Who Could Be Next
Teams always have to look a year or two into the future in order to prepare their salary cap as such. Ballard will be deciding who could be the next Colt to sign a long-term extension and there are a few who could be targeted. Both Yannick Ngakoue and Paris Campbell will be free agents following the 2023 season. Matt Ryan’s and Kenny Moore’s deals both expire in 2024.
But the most important future contract will be that of Michael Pittman Jr.’s. Drafted in the second round of the 2020 draft, Pittman will become extension eligible following the conclusion of the 2022 season. Spotrac has Pittman’s market value at an average annual value of $13.7 million, but that number could skyrocket as the receiver market continues to inflate.