Colts make Quenton Nelson highest-paid guard in NFL with contract extension

HOUSTON -- The Colts have locked up All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson on a four-year, $80 million extension that makes him the highest-paid guard in the NFL by a wide margin, a league source confirmed to IndyStar late Saturday night.

Jacksonville guard Brandon Scherff’s three-year deal worth $16.5 million per year was the previous bar for guards.

Nelson, who has made three first-team All-Pros, will make $20 million per year in new money, will make $60 million in guarantees, a source told IndyStar.

Indianapolis has long made it clear the team wanted to lock down Nelson as a cornerstone member of the franchise.

"It has always been the plan to get that done," Colts owner Jim Irsay said during training camp. "We've never had a problem there, when you look at the history of the franchise, with our outstanding players going into their second contracts, whether it's been Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison or whoever."

More:Insider: How Peyton Manning is influencing Quenton Nelson's approach to leadership

Indianapolis paid Nelson, the first offensive lineman to make first team All-Pro his first three seasons since 1962, far more than any other guard — 15 tackles make more than Scherff — because the Colts consider his value to be higher than any other guard.

Colts head coach Frank Reich considers Nelson the leader of the team’s running game, to the point that Reich frequently takes Nelson’s input on adjustments and play calling.

"Everyone knows what great ability he has, but I think what makes Quenton special is how smart he plays and how instinctive he is," Reich said in a news release. "I think that's what takes his game over the top. He's a physically dominant player, but it's his instincts and his intelligence that take him I think to another level. During the game, he's one of those guys where if he says, 'Hey, here's what I'm seeing and feeling,' like over the years, you go back and look at the tape and he's always right as far as what he's seeing and feeling. So, you trust him."

Nelson is also critical to the team’s pass protection. The big guard has given up just two sacks in four full seasons, or 2,128 pass blocking snaps, according to Sports Info Solutions, and the team reveres his ability to cover up for holes in the protection.

Ultimately, a Nelson extension comes down to general manager Chris Ballard’s philosophy.

Ballard has been asked several times about paying a guard big money.

The answer has always been the same.

“You pay your best players, and he’s special,” Ballard said at the end of training camp. “He’s special to us.”

Nelson hasn’t talked much about the contract, declining most questions about the deal.

But he was already making good money, and Nelson has made it clear he’d like to stay in Indianapolis. Nelson is making $13.754 million this season in the fifth year of his rookie deal, and the Colts didn’t want him to get close to free agency.

By locking him up the night before the season opener, Indianapolis continued a tradition of locking up Ballard’s best draft picks.

The Colts have signed six members of the 2018 draft class to second contracts, including linebacker Shaquille Leonard, right tackle Braden Smith and running back Nyheim Hines.

Indianapolis also has one of the highest-paid offensive lines in the NFL. Kelly is on a four-year extension worth $12.5 million per year, making him one of the league’s highest-paid centers. Smith signed a four-year, $70 million extension as one of the highest-paid right tackles last fall.

After signing Nelson, the Colts are fully committed to their offensive line core.

"Quenton, he is a generational player that – I'm sorry, I see (John) Hannah and I see him of the last hundred years. I mean that's how good Quenton is," Colts owner and CEO Jim Irsay said in 2021. "As far as leadership and the type of team guy he is, it's off the charts. He is why the Colts are a physical team. When you're coming to play us, you are coming to play the Big Q and he is the guy that represents us out there and everyone on this roster knows."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts news: Quenton Nelson highest-paid guard with contract extension