When it comes to players on the Indianapolis Colts roster who make big bucks, there are definitely some names who stand out as having earned their salaries, and some... well, maybe not as much. Among the highest-paid players for the Colts are WR Michael Pittman, Jr., Quenton Nelson, Jonathan Taylor, and Grover Stewart. But the highest-paid member of the Colts is their star defender: DeForest Buckner.
And, according to Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon, he's the Colts' most overpaid player.
"Hate to go this route because the three-time Pro Bowler can be dominant at times, but inconsistency has become a problem for a 31-year-old who hasn't been an All-Pro since 2020 and remains one of the 10 highest-paid defensive tackles in the league with a $26.6 million cap hit looming for 2025."Brad Gagnon
This is a hot take that is nothing short of laughable. Buckner was one of the top 10 defensive tackles in the league last season, as well as the 2024 Ed Block Courage Award recipient for the Colts. He's missed less than 10 games throughout his entire career, and while he wasn't named to the Pro Bowl in 2024, he was in 2023. Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded him highly last season, and overall, he dominated last year. As PFF noted, he had the third-highest pass rush productivity rating among defensive tackles, and had the second-highest with a 17.3 percent pass rush win rate. And none of that is even taking into consideration his incredible leadership off the field, too.
But, you know, sure. Buckner is overpaid. That makes sense.
So who would take Buckner's place as the Colts' most overpaid player? It's not MPJ or Nelson, who both earn their salaries; Pittman in particular didn't play as well as usual last season, though he still was graded highly by PFF, and , oh yeah, was playing with a broken back through all of 2024.
The player who likely deserved the title of most overpaid player was Ryan Kelly. He was among the most highest-paid members of the roster, and it was clear throughout 2024 that his time in Indianapolis was coming to an end. (Sure enough, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings.) But the truth is, while Kelly was still a reliable enough center, he was getting older, struggled to stay healthy, and his replacement - rookie Tanor Bortolini - was more than capable whenever Kelly had to sit out. Now, maybe Gagnon didn't include Kelly because he already signed with another team. But there is frankly no world in which the man who is arguably the best player on the entire roster, as well as one of the best in the league, doesn't also deserve the highest paycheck.