With the 2022 NFL season approaching, Quenton Nelson and the Indianapolis Colts still haven’t agreed to a contract extension.
There are a few things that are certain for the Indianapolis Colts. Here are three of those things: Quenton Nelson is a generational football player, the Colts will sign him to an extension, and that extension will be massive. While those things are certain to happen, many are waiting on the day the extension is officially announced.
Soon, the Colts will return for training camp and Nelson will begin preparing for his fifth season in the NFL. This year marks the final season of Nelson’s rookie contract, a contract that saw Nelson make four Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams in his first four years. In that span, Nelson also only allowed four sacks and established himself as the best interior offensive lineman in football.
That’s why many are expecting Nelson to sign a contract that will be historic for his position. His resume has earned him a deal that should make him the highest-paid guard in the NFL. Currently, that title belongs to Brandon Scherff, who’s making $16.5 million annually with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
There’s a belief that Nelson will definitely top that and that he may even receive a contract from Indianapolis that pays him like a left tackle— somewhere upwards of $20 million annually. But when will Nelson receive that contract?
Quenton Nelson on his looming contract extension: "Not focused on that."
— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) June 7, 2022
When will Colts give Quenton Nelson his contract extension?
Quenton Nelson was the first pick for Indy in its elite 2018 draft class. The next two selections of that class were Darius Leonard and Braden Smith. Both Leonard and Smith have already signed extensions with the Colts and their signing dates may give a good timeline of when Nelson’s deal is likely to be done.
Braden Smith signed his four-year, $72.4 million extension on July 28, 2021, after Indy had returned for training camp. Darius Leonard also signed his five-year, $98.5 million contract extension last offseason on August 8, a week before Indy’s first preseason game.
Those dates show that Nelson isn’t necessarily behind schedule and he and the Colts will likely strike a deal sometime in the next month or so. At that point, Quenton Nelson will have a lot of money and Indianapolis will have the best guard in football secured for many more years.
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