Colts’ Anthony Walker on contract extension: ‘That’s not up to me’

Anthony Walker faces a contract year in 2020.

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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Colts announce jersey number changes for several players

New jersey numbers.

The Indianapolis Colts announced the jersey numbers for the five new players to arrive this offseason while also announcing changes to three other jersey numbers.

For the new players, all of them got to keep their numbers from their previous teams. A few current Colts had to change their numbers, but the five new players will wear the following jersey numbers:

QB Philip Rivers — No. 17
CB Xavier Rhodes — No. 27
CB T.J. Carrie — No. 38
DT Sheldon Day — No. 91
DT DeForest Buckner — No. 99

For Buckner, he had to get the No. 99 from veteran defensive end Justin Houston, who also got his original number back from linebacker Anthony Walker. Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin also changed his number.

CB Rock Ya-Sin — No. 26
DE Justin Houston — No. 50
LB Anthony Walker — No. 54

Houston tried to get his No. 50 from Walker when he first arrived in 2019, but the linebacker wouldn’t budge. It seems they came to an agreement for the pass rusher to get his number back, though we likely won’t find out what the cost was.

Zach Pascal leads Colts in performance-based pay bonus

Zach Pascal and Anthony Walker get a nice bonus.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Zach Pascal received some good news on Thursday as he earned a performance-based pay bonus of $328,890 for his work during the 2019 season.

Pascal also got a $200,948 bonus from the veteran pool in the program, which brings his total bonus up to $529, 838. The bonuses are from a formula that provides bonuses to players who’s playing time exceed their playing time in comparison to their teammates. Last year, cornerback Kenny Moore was the only Colt to receive a performance-based pay bonus.

Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward earned the highest combined distribution of all NFL players in the 2019 Performance-Based Pay program. He earned a total of $654,750, nearly 15 percent more than his 2019 salary. Here’s his performance-based pay and other notable ones as well. pic.twitter.com/erYQYjJODG

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2020

Pascal, who made $570,000 in base salary in 2019, recorded 41 receptions for 607 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 14.8 yards per catch.

Linebacker Anthony Walker also got a performance-based bonus of $287,430 and a veteran pool bonus of $205,094, which brings his total bonus up to $492,525.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Charvarious Ward received the highest combined bonus distribution at $654,750.

Colts feel really encouraged about depth in LB room

Colts LB room proved to be a deep unit.

The Indianapolis Colts had a goal during the 2019 offseason to add more depth and talent to the linebacker room. When the season was done, it’s easy to say they achieved that goal.

Even behind the uber-talented Darius Leonard, the Colts showed they have strong depth in the linebacker room. Anthony Walker had another solid season against the run while rookie Bobby Okereke emerged potentially as the team’s best rookie during the 2019 campaign.

When speaking to reporters during his year-end press conference, general manager Chris Ballard discussed how the front office is feeling about the room.

“Really encouraged. Anthony Walker had a good season. Bobby Okereke has some real special in his body. Saw the flashes. EJ Speed, even though we didn’t see a bunch of him just because he’s young and raw,” Ballard said. “It’ll be fun to watch him develop and see if he can become what we think he can become.”

After a slow start and dealing with some injuries, Leonard finished the season on a torrid streak. He was second in the entire league with five interceptions and made his way to his first career Pro Bowl selection. He was also named to the All-Pro second team.

Walker finished the year with a career-high in sacks (2.5), tackles (123), solo tackles (83) and quarterback hits (three). Okereke came on strong during the second half of the season showing off his range and athleticism on a weekly basis.

“We have good depth at the position, good competition,” said Ballard. “It’ll be fun to watch that group compete here during the offseason and in training camp to see how it fleshes out. We feel good about it.”

The Colts have several areas to address this offseason—even on the defensive side of the ball alone. But one area they won’t have to worry about all that much is the linebacker corps in the middle.

5 biggest studs from Colts’ blowout win over Panthers

These Colts stood out in the win.

The Indianapolis Colts (7-8) enjoyed a blowout 38-6 win over the Carolina Panthers (5-10) on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium to snap a four-game losing streak.

The final home game of the season was the team’s most dominating win of the season. They played sound football in all three phases and especially on special teams, which was a nice surprise.

Here are the five biggest studs from the Week 16 win:

RB Nyheim Hines

Hines didn’t do his damage on the offensive side of the ball, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t impact the score. No, Hines was electric as the return man taking not one but two punts back for touchdowns. He finished the day with three punt returns for 195 yards and two touchdowns.

Hines got his day started with a 40-yard punt return, which led to an eventual touchdown for the Colts. Then he followed his next return with an 84-yard touchdown and in the fourth quarter capped off his career day with a 71-yard return for a touchdown.

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5 Colts to watch vs. Titans in Week 13

Keep an eye on these Colts in Week 13.

The Indianapolis Colts (6-5) are preparing to host the Tennessee Titans (6-5) on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in what is expected to be a physical AFC South matchup.

Both teams are looking to find a way into the playoffs, which means this matchup will have plenty of implications down the stretch—not only in the divisional race but the AFC playoff race as well.

Here are five Colts to watch during the Week 13 matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium:

QB Jacoby Brissett

A player that everyone will be watching on Sunday is Brissett. After the Colts have gone four consecutive games without throwing for over 200 yards as a team, Brissett’s status as the future of the Colts’ quarterback room has come into question.

Brissett certainly has the tools to be a successful quarterback in the NFL. He’s intelligent, he has strong pocket mobility and he has a rocket for an arm. But he hasn’t been trusting it for the majority of the season. Those concerns reared their ugly head in the Week 12 loss against the Texans.

The Titans are likely to sell out against the run, which means Brissett will have his chances to air it out. Whether he will take advantage of those chances is what likely determines the game.

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