Much has been made about the Indianapolis Colts’ reluctance to spend big this offseason, and understandably so given how close their roster is to being championship-ready.
Thus far in free agency, GM Chris Ballard has prioritized adding quality offensive line depth and retaining some key free agents.
Fans are still waiting patiently (for the time being) for a homegrown star to sign an extension, which is apparently why the Colts have been hoarding their ample cap space, but they should probably trust that the front office has a grand plan to put everything together.
In terms of moves that have received rave reviews, however, the re-signing of wideout TY Hilton clearly sticks out among the rest. After all, he’s spent his entire nine-year career with the team and is absolutely adored by the city of Indianapolis and fan base.
The Colts officially announced the Hilton deal on Thursday, and he subsequently met with reporters to discuss his chaotic free agency. As he generally is in front of the microphone, the four-time Pro Bowler was incredibly forthright with his answers.
TY Hilton says he's been talking and texting with Carson Wentz since the QB was traded to Indy back in February. And Wentz made a big push to convince Hilton to stay.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) April 1, 2021
"He has some Andrew Luck traits," TY said of his new QB.
Colts wideout TY Hilton opened up about his free agency before he decided to re-sign with the team.
We bet the last thing fans were expecting was an Andrew Luck reference, but the fact that Hilton likened his traits to that of Carson Wentz speaks volumes in terms of how hard Wentz pushed to convince him to stick around for (at least) one more season.
The questions eventually transitioned to Hilton’s near-agreement with Baltimore, who reportedly offered him A LOT more money than what he took to re-sign with the Colts.
The former second-round pick also confirmed that the Ravens offered him a multi-year deal, which is pretty significant when you consider that he said as recently as last year that his next contract would be his last before he retired.
Speaking of retirement, Hilton also touched on the prospect of calling it a career after the 2021 campaign. He acknowledged that it’s something he’ll reevaluate at the end of the season and determine whether he wants to spend more time with his kids, who are getting to the age where they’re playing sports at a competitive level.
Hilton confirms Baltimore offered him a multiyear deal. He'll re-evaluate how he feels at the end of the season and whether he wants to play again. "My retirement won't depend on me. It'll depend on whether I'm ready to watch my kids play." #Colts
— George Bremer (@gmbremer) April 1, 2021
Everybody knows that Hilton was inconsistent for much of last season, but that can largely be attributed to the fact that Philip Rivers was under center. Hilton is a receiver who thrives on burning defenders when plays break down and Rivers simply didn’t have the requisite mobility to maneuver out of the pocket or arm strength to get the ball far down field.
That won’t be a concern with Wentz, who’s one of the most athletic quarterbacks in the league with one of the strongest arms. When you take that into consideration, Hilton’s $10 million deal (which comes with just $8 million in guaranteed money) could end up being a steal when all is said and done.
Colts: Reggie Wayne helped convince TY Hilton to re-sign with Indy
Indianapolis Colts legend Reggie Wayne helped wide receiver TY Hilton through the process of re-signing with Frank Reich and the squad