Colts still hope to get contract extensions done before season

Throughout the offseason, we have been trying to predict which pending free agents for the Indianapolis Colts will get their contract extensions before the season arrives.

The answers are fairly obvious as linebacker Darius Leonard and right tackle Braden Smith are likely to see extremely big deals. It’s likely that Leonard resets the linebacker market on his new deal.

In speaking to reporters Thursday, Colts owner Jim Irsay said the plan is still for some of these extensions to get done by the time the season rolls around.

“We hope to get them done,’’ Irsay said to the media over Zoom. “We’d like to see both of those players get extensions before the season starts.’’

Leonard and Smith appear to be the easiest extensions to project. Both players are cornerstones on their respective sides of the ball, and the Colts are willing to pay a premium to keep them.

All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson is also set to make historic money on his new deal, but the Colts can afford to wait on his given the fact that they exercised his fifth-year option, which keeps him under contract through the 2022 season.

These deals are likely to get done, but Irsay said it continues to be a give-and-take with the agents.

“We’re working on it,’’ Irsay said. “Anytime you deal with extensions – I’ve been dealing with them for decades – it takes two to tango, and there’s a compromising aspect (to negotiations).”

Even if an agent is coming in much higher than what the Colts had in mind, Irsay knows Indy has other options to pursue.

“If an agent comes in and is asking too much, it doesn’t work. You just say, ‘Well, we’ll wait because we have the (franchise) tag,” Irsay said. “We always give great deals to our players. It’s been that way going back 20 years.’’

These deals should be expected to get done. Barring a change, the Colts are likely to lock up their cornerstone pieces for the next several years. It’s just a matter of when at this point.