BREAKING: Colts Sign All-Pro G Quenton Nelson to Record-Breaking Extension

Indianapolis Colts basic supervisor Chris Ballard has lengthy abided by the philosophy that you will need to “pay your personal.” That continued Saturday evening.

In response to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Colts and All-Professional guard Quenton Nelson have agreed to a four-year, $80 million extension with $60 million assured. The deal makes Nelson the highest-paid guard in NFL historical past.

Shortly after being drafted sixth general by the Colts within the 2018 NFL Draft, Nelson took the title of the perfect guard within the NFL. In 4 seasons, Nelson has earned First-Group All-Professional honors 3 times and has been chosen to the Professional Bowl each season.

Questions swirled all offseason on when the extension would get carried out. Nelson repeatedly advised reporters he was not going to speak about it. Ballard and Colts’ proprietor Jim Irsay had been adamant that the deal would get carried out.

Now, lower than 24 hours earlier than the Colts kick off the 2022 season in opposition to the Houston Texans, Ballard and the Colts have locked up one other cornerstone to a long-term extension. Nelson is the following participant in a line of these drafted and signed to an extension by the Colts. Shaquille Leonard, Braden Smith, Ryan Kelly, Nyheim Hines, and Grover Stewart are among the huge names the Colts have rewarded with second contracts.

A lot of the speak about Nelson’s extension was about how a lot ought to a guard be paid within the NFL. The perfect left tackles within the league are commanding north of $20 million per yr, however no guard has ever signed for that a lot cash. Ballard was clear that positional worth doesn’t come into play with particular gamers.

“A participant can transcend (positional worth,)” Ballard stated after coaching camp. “Chiefs didn’t have an issue paying that guard from New England (Joe Thuney) huge cash. What’s the distinction? You pay your finest gamers and (Nelson’s) particular, and he’s particular to us.”

Nelson fully reworked the Colts’ offensive line from the second he stepped on the sector. In 2017, the Colts gave up a league-worst 56 sacks. In 2018 after Nelson was drafted, the Colts allowed an NFL-best 18 sacks. Discuss an unimaginable turnaround.

Nelson has additionally turn out to be a really revered chief inside the Colts’ locker room. He was voted a captain for the second-consecutive season and holds teammates accountable on the sector. Nelson embodies what the Colts search for of their leaders and backs it up together with his excessive stage of play.

Now, with the contract extension within the rearview mirror, Nelson can focus all of his consideration on the 2022 season. 2021 was a down yr in accordance with Nelson’s requirements as he fought with ankle and again accidents all year long. The accidents induced Nelson to overlook his first recreation motion in his profession, and it was the primary yr he was not a First-Group All-Professional (he was voted a Second-Group All-Professional.)

However Nelson has put the accidents behind him. This offseason was the primary time Nelson has not handled an harm or recovered from surgical procedure. He’s as wholesome as he has ever been, and coaches have observed.

“I simply suppose that is in all probability the perfect (Nelson’s) felt bodily,” head coach Frank Reich stated. “He at all times trains tremendous exhausting however the mixture of issues he did to coach this yr, I feel hit a candy spot for him. I feel his physique is at a spot the place it in all probability feels higher than it has felt shortly.”

A totally-focused and fully-healthy Nelson is frightening for the remainder of the NFL. Nelson shall be terrorizing opposing defensive traces whereas donning the Horseshoe for years to come back.

It’s protected to say that when the longer term Corridor-of-Famer is pancaking defenders on the sector, there shall be little speak about how a lot is an excessive amount of to pay a guard.

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