While some may find a gripe with the Indianapolis Colts eventually giving left guard Quenton Nelson a market-setting contract extension due to positional value, general manager Chris Ballard doesn’t care to hear it.
Nelson, who is currently playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, is expected to sign a massive extension soon. The deal is likely to reset the market at the guard position and could push close to $20 million per year.
When it comes to the positional value argument that Nelson doesn’t play a position that is considered highly valuable, Ballard believes certain players can transcend that notion.
“A player can transcend it. Chiefs didn’t have a problem paying that guard from New England (Joe Thuney) big money. What’s the difference? You pay your best players and he’s special, and he’s special to us. Hopefully we get things worked out. We’ll see,” Ballard told reporters this week.
The deal should get done soon. We projected what the extension might look like when it’s all said and done.
Whether they get the deal done before the start of the season remains to be seen, but we should expect it to get done at some point before free agency hits in 2023.
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwdn1cy47y964q player_id=none image=https://coltswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)
[lawrence-related id=74891,74876,74870]
[listicle id=74886]