It was reported before that the starting left tackle wanted to come back, but now the Colts know they get him for two more years.
Anthony Castonzo has been the starting left tackle for the Colts since his rookie season in 2011. He has been the most consistent face on the offensive line for the last decade. He was considering retirement this offseason but has decided to come back for at least a couple more seasons.
Castonzo was re-signed to a two-year extension worth $33 million. The team announced it on their website. This is huge for a multitude of reasons. First, the Colts retain their left tackle and have time to find a replacement. Two, they keep their most consistent lineman for two full seasons.
This commitment allows the other pieces of free agency to fall now. Having him back for two full years gives Chris Ballard a chance to improve the team in other areas, mainly at wide receiver and defensive line. They can also improve other areas of the offense too.
This is great news for Jacoby Brissett. Brissett will have Castonzo protecting his blind side still instead of some poor rookie. Or it could be another quarterback that he is protecting. Who knows. All that matters is that they have their most important offensive lineman back.
Credit Ballard for not being cheap in bringing their man back. They gave a guy who has been considering moving on $16.5 million a year. That shows how much the team values a player like Castonzo and how much they want to treat him right.
This is the first domino to fall in free agency. The rest shall start falling soon. Wednesday is about to be a very busy day for the Colts and around the NFL.