The Indianapolis Colts have made it clear that they won’t be discussing new contracts until the season is over. They have a number of talented players from the 2012 draft class that are looking for a new contract.
Chief among them is T.Y. Hilton, but it’s sounding like the lack of contract talks are starting to bother the young receiver. He recently spoke to Blake Schuster from the IndyStar about the issue.
"“If they want to pay me, they’ll pay me,” Hilton said. “It takes both sides to come to an agreement. I leave that up to my agent and just go out there and have fun.”"
Hilton has a right be a bit ticked off by the team. He’s a Pro Bowl level receiver who is set to make $1.5 million this season, far below other players of a similar caliber. Jordy Nelson is set to make just $1.3 million in 2015, but that’s the first year of a deal worth nearly $40 million. Antonio Brown, who is very similar to Hilton in terms of skill set, is making $6 million next season.
GM Ryan Grigson said that they will hold off on contract negotiations until the year is over. Hilton has 82 receptions, 1,345 yards, and seven touchdowns in 2014.
Hilton spent the end of the week at Lawrence North High School with the Boys & Girls Club playing football and putting on his own minicamp. Colts tight end Dwayne Allen went to Hilton’s camp, and even talked about the contract situation.
"“It means a lot,” Allen said of a potential new deal for Hilton. “We love to say whenever we win we all eat. T.Y. is a guy who provides a lot of offense so that we can do a lot of winning. It’ll be good to see him get rewarded for his efforts.”"
While every contract is a two way street, it is very clear that Hilton has outstripped his rookie deal. It is hard to fault him for wanting a bigger, longer term deal considering how well he’s played and the short lifespan of NFL players.
We’ll keep you up to date as this story develops.