According to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole and his “Insider Buzz“, the Indianapolis Colts and T.Y. Hilton are currently negotiating a new long-term contract for the Pro Bowl wideout that could pay him around $14 million annually:
"“The Indianapolis Colts and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton are currently negotiating over a long-term deal according to sources including agent Drew Rosenhaus,” said Cole. “Rosenhaus however cautioned that a deal getting done in advance of training camp is unlikely at this point when talking to him last week.”“However, one of the things that you can look for when Hilton gets this deal is for it to be close to the deals signed by Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas,” added Cole. “What Hilton is basically aiming for is that $14 million per year threshold. In fact, he [Hilton] tweeted out, ‘Is $14 million the bar that is going to be set right now?’.”“The problem that Hilton has in getting close to that $14 million per year number is that he has one year left at $1.5M on the contract he originally signed as a 3rd round draft pick in 2012,” concluded Cole. “Look for something to get done. Perhaps not as early as this week, but relatively soon for T.Y. Hilton.”"
May 27, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) catches a pass and runs with the ball during OTA at Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Of course, by signing a deal worth around $14 million per year, Hilton would be placed in the truly elite wide receiver territory, as the Dallas Cowboys Dez Bryant and Denver Broncos Demaryius Thomas just signed contracts earlier last week for 5 years, $70 million (avg. $14M per year) respectively. The aforementioned duo is just behind the Detroit Lions Calvin Johnson (avg. $16.2M per year), as the highest paid wide receivers in football.
That price-tag seems a bit exorbitant for Hilton, who while is a great wide receiver in his own right, may not be quite on the same level as one of the Top 4 wideouts in the NFL.
Recently, one of the premier contract valuation web sites in Spotrac, projected Hilton to be worth a contract around 5 years, $60 million (avg. $12 million per year), which seems to be more in-line with his current production.
While the CBA is expected to take a significant jump in 2016, meaning contracts are sure to inflate soon as a direct result, Hilton is reportedly seeking to be paid as much as Bryant and Thomas at face value. Nothing against Hilton, but that doesn’t seem quite right given his contemporaries clearly superior production and demonstrated abilities.
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