As this offseason comes and goes, the Indianapolis Colts will be faced with several tough decisions in the coming months—most of which will revolve around potential contract extensions.
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With the 2020 season arriving, that means players selected in the 2017 NFL Draft are on the final year of their rookie contracts. Some are getting extensions while others are likely hitting the market after the season. Others are simply in limbo, unsure of what their future looks like with their current team.
Linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. is among those in limbo, but he’s not thinking about what’s to come after the 2020 season.
“I’m excited I still have the opportunity to go out there and play the game that I love. That’s not up to me. I’d love to be in Indy forever, but that is not up to me,” Walker told reporters Wednesday. “I’ll go out there, execute and do my job and hopefully it works out that way.”
A fifth-round pick in the 2017 draft, Walker has provided the Colts with solid production in the middle of the defense after he took over the starting MIKE duties in 2018.
Among off-the-ball linebackers since the beginning of the 2018 season, Walker has the 15th-most combined tackles (229) and solo tackles (153) and the 20th-most tackles for loss (16). Not bad for a fifth-round pick out of Northwestern.
Contract talks will be all of the rage at this time of year, but Walker is still focusing on what he can do to help the team the most.
“We will go from there, but right now my focus is on playing this season and getting in the best physical shape – mentally and physically in every way that I can to help my teammates do the same thing so we can go out and have a successful season this year,” said Walker.
Walker and his running-mate in Darius Leonard have combined to make a strong duo in the middle of the Colts defense over the last two seasons. Pushing each other is what keeps both of them hungry to reach each other’s potential.
“Between me and Darius (Leonard), we are close friends on and off the field. It is not really a competition,” Walker said. “He knows that we both want each other to succeed, but that is our race. Our race to the ball is every play and I was able to get there one more time last year. So, I’ll take it.”
It will be interesting to see which player from the 2017 draft will get ane extension first, but it will certainly be something to watch this offseason.
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