While new can be hard to come by for the Indianapolis Colts during a restricted training camp, there is hope of some contract extensions coming in the future.
We’ve seen Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones, George Kittle and others get contract extensions over the past month before teams hit training camp.
Currently, according to Over The Cap, the Colts currently have $22.6 million in cap room and are projected to have $113 million dollars in 2021 barring any changes to the salary cap due to changes going on with COVID-19.
While the Colts have started training camp, they still could get some work done on keeping their own, something GM Chris Ballard preaches over and over.
Earlier in the offseason, Ballard said the front office needed to get some ‘clarity’ on how the salary cap will be in the NFL for the next few years and then they will work to get some extensions done.
Indianapolis has a lot of impending free agents that could be in-line for extensions, so let’s look at some Colts that could get an extension before the start of the season.
WR T.Y. Hilton
One of the more productive players for the Colts over the past decade is T.Y. Hilton, and at the age of 30, he’s entering a contract season.
In a press conference during the offseason, Hilton said he wants to remain and retire as a Colt, and said his next contract extension will be his last before hitting retirement.
For a wide receiver that’s hitting 31 years old, plus he’s dealt with various leg injuries the past two years, missing eight games, Hilton probably needs to prove he can still play at a high level if he wants a contract extension.
If the Colts want to get a deal done, they could look at a contract in the range of three years, $45 million dollars. This would give Hilton a slight pay raise and would make him top-10 in the league in average money per year.
C Ryan Kelly
For most, it is hard to believe that Ryan Kelly wasn’t a Chris Ballard draft pick. Kelly was drafted in 2016, Ballard took over in 2017. Nevertheless, it seems that Ballard and company are looking to extend Kelly before the start of the season.
Early in his career, Kelly, couldn’t stay on the field as he was often injured but last season Kelly started every game, and only missed one half vs the Steelers.
Extending Kelly won’t come at a high cost for the Colts. But, with Kelly being 27 Indianapolis might not lock him down for a really long extension. Look for the two sides to agree on an extension in the range of four years, $40 million dollars, with about $15-17 million of it guaranteed. That would make Kelly the tenth highest-paid center in the NFL.
DT Grover Stewart
When a Colts fan goes through the roster they usually glance over Grover Stewart’s name. He was a late-round draft pick from a small school, and until 2019, didn’t get a lot of playing time. But ask Ballard about Stewart, and he will give him very high praise.
Early in his career, Stewart didn’t get a lot of playing time, but going into 2019 he would eventually become a full-time starter on the Colts’ defensive line. 2019 was his best season, with three sacks, 30 tackles, and five QB hits.
The Colts will look to extend Stewart, and while he’s been good for Indianapolis, he’s not going to cost them a lot of money. Expect the Colts to offer Stewart a contract around three years, $30 million dollars, with around $10 million guaranteed.
