The 2021 edition of Indianapolis Colts training camp is just a couple days away and the organization still hasn’t inked extensions with its homegrown stars.
While it’s unclear what the deal is with Braden Smith and Quenton Nelson, the latest buzz suggests Darius Leonard is on the verge of signing a monster extension.
This news came shortly after the 49ers and linebacker Fred Warner agreed to a five-year, $95 million deal, making him the highest-paid player in the NFL at the position.
With that in mind, Colts fans surely felt good after ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed Leonard is expected to sign a four-year deal worth more than $90 million annually.
While Warner obviously isn’t a scrub — very few linebackers in the NFL have performed better than him over the last two seasons — it goes without saying to anyone who watches him that Leonard is worth more.
49ers, LB Fred Warner agree to five-year extension worth more than $95 million. (via @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/GELphb4Dhm
— NFL (@NFL) July 21, 2021
Colts star Darius Leonard is clearly worth more than Fred Warner.
Again, we don’t mean to disrespect Warner, but when you’re compared to Leonard in terms of overall worth at the LB position, you’re going to get the short end of the stick. In fact, Seahawks star Bobby Wagner is probably the only linebacker who can hold a candle to Leonard.
Don’t believe us? Let’s dive into Leonard’s and Warner’s career stats, shall we?
- Leonard: 416 tackles, 26 for loss, 15 sacks, 17 QB hits, 22 passes defended, seven interceptions, nine forced fumbles and 28 pressures in 42 games.
- Warner: 367 tackles, 15 for loss, four sacks, 14 QB hits, 21 passes defended, three interceptions, five forced fumbles and 27 pressures in 48 games.
Folks, Leonard has the edge in every stat….despite playing in six fewer games. It’s also worth noting that Warner started for the 49ers as a rookie — he literally hasn’t missed a game — so it’s not like he came up short because he’s had fewer opportunities than Leonard.
The bottom line is Leonard is the more productive player on a game-by-game basis. Can you imagine how big the discrepancy would be if Leonard hadn’t missed those six games? We’d probably be looking at maybe 40 more tackles and at least a couple more sacks.
Next linebacker up for a new deal is Indianapolis’ Darius Leonard, a contract is that is expected to be a four-year deal for north of $19 million per year, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 21, 2021
We hate to further bury the 49ers stud, but Leonard won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors (they both entered the league in 2018), has two Pro Bowl nods and is a two-time All-Pro over his first three seasons. Warner, meanwhile, has just one Pro Bowl and All-Pro nod to his name.
We don’t make the rules, but literally every ounce of data proves Leonard is worth more money than Warner. While the Colts superstar’s deal might not eclipse the $95 million threshold, you can bet your bottom dollar it’ll be worth more annually.
The fact that was even questioned is laugh-out-loud funny.
Colts: Darius Leonard will have more motivation after ESPN’s linebacker ranking
Colts linebacker Darius Leonard came in fourth place on ESPN's linebackers ranking, with Devin White, Fred Warner, and Bobby Wagner ahead of him.