In a season in which there weren’t many positives for the Indianapolis Colts, they have finally received some good news.
After starting off the season with a 7-1 record, one of the best in the league, the team ended the year on an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs in the final weeks of the season.
The NFL has announced the All-Pro selections, with just one member of the team receiving the honor this season.
Offensive Lineman Earns All-Pro Honors
GettyThe Indianapolis Colts have a bright spot in a season that went south
Despite having just one member of the Colts receiving the All-Pro nod, it is a player who received the honor multiple times before.
Offensive lineman Quenton Nelson was the sole player on the Indianapolis squad to make the All-Pro honors, making the second team at the left guard spot. This is the O-lineman’s sixth time as a member of the honor, making it three times on both the first and second team.
The guard was one of the most consistent players for Indianapolis in terms of performances and reliability, having started all 17 games for the franchise this season.
The former Notre Dame Fighting Irish received an 84.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, the fourth-highest out of 81 qualifying guards. Nelson received a 73.2 pass block grade and an 84.3 run block grade, which were the 12th and 4th highest in the respective stats from the publication.
Nelson allowed just one sack and two hits on his quarterback, while allowing only 15 pressures on the season.
The offensive lineman has been one of the better players at his respective position since entering the league. The Colt has also earned 8 consecutive Pro Bowl nods since being drafted by Indy in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Future Of Quenton Nelson
GettyThe future of Quenton Nelson with Indy will be in the air
The longtime Indianapolis Colt will enter the final year of his $80 million contract in the 2026 season.
While negotiations can begin between Quenton Nelson and the franchise, it will be hard for the Colts to extend the offensive lineman in the 2026 free agency.
Indy has around $33 million in cap space and for a player of Nelson’s caliber, it will be hard to see how the organization can prioritize their All-Pro player and acquire free agents.
If things go well and Nelson decides to stick around beyond the 2026 season, the Colts will have more than enough money to extend the player in the 2027 offseason, in which the team will have more than $166 million to spend.
But questions surround who will be the starting quarterback for the Colts, something Nelson has commented about.
The O-lineman has mentioned being frustrated with the numerous quarterback changes Indy has had since being with the team.
With Daniel Jones injured (and on a one-year deal), the Colts will need another quarterback to be behind the center.
If Nelson doesn’t want to deal with this ongoing situation, he could go elsewhere.
Colts $80 Million Star Gets Major News After Season Finale