Colts: Projecting 3 contract extensions for homegrown stars
By Mike Luciano
LB Darius Leonard: 5 years, $92 million ($18.4 million AAV)
Leonard’s theoretical new contract would make him the highest-paid linebacker in football, overtaking both CJ Mosley’s total value of $85 million and Bobby Wagner’s AAV of $18 million. Based on his play on the field over the last few seasons, it’s hard to argue that he deserves anything less than a record-breaking deal.
Leonard is the first player in NFL history to 400 tackles, 15 sacks, seven interceptions, and nine forced fumbles in his first three seasons. Not only is Leonard putting up gaudy tackle numbers, but he is an expert at forcing turnovers and doing so in the context of winning games.
Darius Leonard is already a star for the Colts, and has earned a new contract.
Matt Eberflus doesn’t take a ton of chances while blitzing, and linebackers need to be rangy while covering a lot of ground in that system. Leonard is not only one of the best linebackers in the league, but he is perfect for what Eberflus expects out of said linebackers.
Leonard can serve as the linchpin of the Colts defense for the next half-decade, provided that the Colts are willing to splash enough cash to make him one of the highest-paid players in the league at his position. If the miserly Ballard ends up opening up his coin purse, No. 53 will stay in blue and white.