8 Colts who can cash in big with strong a 2022 season
The Indianapolis Colts are one of the more proactive teams when it comes to signing contract extensions before a player officially hits the market. But even they need to wait and see what happens during contract years sometimes.
The Colts have a number of relevant players heading into the final year of their current contracts. Some of them might receive an extension before the start of the regular season as Nyheim Hines, Braden Smith and Darius Leonard did.
Some may not receive an extension until the Colts realize they’ll be priced out in free agency as in the case of Grover Stewart.
Others may not even receive an extension even though we believe they have a strong chance to get one with a solid season.
Regardless of whether it winds up being with the Colts or another team, there are several players with their eyes on getting a pay upgrade following the 2022 season.
Here are eight Colts with the chance to cash in big next offseason with strong campaigns in 2022:
Note: We are not including Quenton Nelson on this list because he’s already expected to receive a new contract at some point in the future.
RB Jonathan Taylor
Syndication: The Indianapolis Star
I know, I know. You don’t pay running backs. I even agree with the overall philosophy that running back contracts rarely ever age well. But the Colts probably have no choice in the matter.
Taylor isn’t eligible to sign a contract extension until after the 2022 campaign because then his third season will be completed. However, another dominant campaign from Taylor means the Colts are going to have to pay up for the league’s best running back.
Just 23 years old, Taylor is heading toward a big payday. The positive news is that the early years of the second contract will be during Taylor’s age-24 and 25 seasons, which is just before the cliff for running backs. Once they start entering the age 26 season, production declines heavily.
Taylor may very well be an outlier, and the Colts can’t let him walk in free agency simply because he’s a running back. He’s going to get paid heavily, and maybe the Colts can front-load the contract during the early years in order to avoid heavy guarantees later.
But if Taylor again approaches the rushing title for the second year in a row, we should expect a contract extension around this time next year.
WR Michael Pittman Jr.
AP Photo/Jeff Lewis
The same notion for Taylor applies to Pittman Jr. in terms of not being eligible until after the 2022 season has concluded. But he’s another player that is likely to see a big extension come his way around this time next year.
Pittman Jr. proved he can be the alpha in a passing attack during the 2021 season. Most analysts are projecting another step forward in 2022, and if that happens, Pittman Jr. will be looking for a new deal as soon as possible.
If Pittman Jr. records over 1,000 receiving yards as everyone expects him to, he will become just the second wide receiver in Colts history to record two 1,000-yard campaigns within his first three seasons, according to Stathead.
The only other Colts receiver to do so was T.Y. Hilton.
If Pittman Jr. takes another step forward in 2022, the Colts are likely signing him to an extension before the start of his fourth season.
WR Parris Campbell
Justin Casterline/Getty Images
The contract year for Campbell is finally here. The speedy wideout has appeared in just 15 games throughout his career since being selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft.
The road for Campbell has been a very bumpy one. It’s been riddled with injuries, most of which have been freaky occurrences that have kept him off the field for weeks—or even months—at a time.
Campbell’s next contract is likely to be a one-year deal even if he stays healthy for the majority of the campaign. Teams won’t want to risk a Brinks truck for a player with his type of history.
With that said, a strong 2022 season would certainly lead to a nice contract for Campbell. His skill set blends well with what the Colts (and several other teams) do offensively so if he can show he can stay healthy, a solid pay increase would likely follow.
LB Bobby Okereke
AP Photo/AJ Mast
It will be interesting to see what happens with Okereke. He has just one season as the starting MIKE under his belt, but the upside is clearly there. He can be a major force for the Colts both against the run and in coverage, but he’ll need to show a bit more consistency overall.
There is a non-zero chance Okereke receives a multi-year deal from the Colts. He’s a solid running mate next to Darius Leonard, and he’ll be 26 years old during the 2022 season.
One of the main issues with Okereke’s new deal is how much the Colts are willing to invest in the linebacker position. With Leonard being the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL, can the Colts afford to invest an above-average contract for Okereke?
That part can’t be answered until a year or two after this hypothetical deal is signed, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Colts wanted to lock up this tandem for the future.
DE Yannick Ngakoue
AP Photo/Justin Berl
The Colts traded for Ngakoue this offseason knowing he is slated to be a free agent following the 2022 season. Even so, it isn’t clear if they will sign him to a new deal before he proves his worth to the front office. At least, that was the report back in March.
Ngakoue joins a Colts defense that desperately needs more of a presence from the edge. There is obvious excitement about Kwity Paye’s breakout potential, but the Colts need another dawg on the other side of the line.
Ngakoue can be that pass rusher for the Colts, especially considering his experience with new coordinator Gus Bradley in two different seasons. He also just turned 27 years old so he’s still in the prime of his career.
If Ngakoue posts a season with double-digit sacks, it may be hard for the Colts to let him test the free-agent market during the 2023 offseason.
DE Ben Banogu
Leon Halip/Getty Images
The former second-round pick faces a pivotal season in his career. Banogu hasn’t lived up to the billing of his draft capital through his first three seasons. Some of that could have been due to the previous scheme under Matt Eberflus, but plenty falls on the shoulders of the 26-year-old.
What’s interesting is that Banogu’s fit in Gus Bradley’s defense is much stronger than it was with Eberflus’ scheme. Banogu’s size and athleticism project him favorably for the LEO spot on the defense. But his game isn’t polished enough to trust him with a large number of snaps just yet.
Since being drafted in 2019, Banogu has appeared in 34 games. However, he’s seen 30% or more snaps in a single game just seven times throughout his career.
Using his athleticism and length should benefit him in this new scheme under Bradley. But will it be enough to warrant a new deal?
WR Ashton Dulin
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Dulin enters the 2022 season battling for the No. 4 spot on the wide receiver depth chart. He has shown some flashes throughout his career in a very limited role on offense. The former undrafted free agent has serious speed to go with above-average arm length and a 38-inch vertical.
Dulin has made just one start in his career and is coming off of a career-high 22 targets. His sample size is limited. But he has flashed some upside as a receiver while most of his work has come on special teams.
If Dulin takes over the No. 4 spot and earns more snaps as the season goes on, he should find himself with a new deal one way or another in 2023.
OT Matt Pryor
AP Photo/Darryl Webb
There’s really only one way Pryor cashes in with a new contract, and it includes keeping third-round pick Bernhard Raimann on the bench for the 2022 season.
Pryor is battling for the starting left tackle spot and entering training camp, he appears to be leading that competition. If he winds up holding the job for the majority of the season while proving to be a solid asset on the blindside, several teams will be lining up for his services.
Pryor gave the Colts a glimpse of what he can do at left tackle during the Week 17 loss against the Las Vegas Raiders. It’s part of the reason why the Colts re-signed him to a one-year deal.
It won’t be easy for Pryor to get a new deal considering how much the Colts like Raimann, but there is a path for the versatile offensive lineman to get paid after the 2022 season.
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