According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Indianapolis Colts star offensive guard Quenton Nelson is one of eleven NFL players to watch next offseason if they don’t sign a contract extension beforehand :
Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts
Nelson is a candidate for another extension after maintaining his high level of play at age 30. But talks are stagnant at the moment. Nelson preferred to sign a deal before training camp, which came and went. Though discussions haven’t intensified, the Colts could pursue a deal before Week 1 kicks off Sept.
13.
Nelson will likely need to be the highest-paid interior offensive lineman, which means topping Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum’s three-year, $81 million deal ($27 million per year). The highest-paid guard is the Tennessee Titans’ Peter Skoronski at $25 million annually.
A franchise tag for Nelson in 2027 would cost Indianapolis $29 million to $30 million. He is due $18 million in cash this season, the final season of his current deal.
No other guards are set to get paid in the short term, clearing the runway for Nelson to do something now — or play it out.
That comes with a caveat though. Although Nelson’s preference, as a pending 2027 free agent, was to sign a new mega-contract extension with the Colts before training camp, it’s possible that he and his representation could re-engage such talks with Indianapolis before the NFL’s 2026 regular season kicks off in a week.
Even if those talks don’t consummate a new deal, the Colts should reignite those contract discussions when the 2026 regular season ends but before free agency begins for one of their longest tenured players at this point.
Regardless of which regime is then in place for the Colts, it would be highly surprising if team ownership doesn’t intervene and make the future Hall of Fame left guard a member of the franchise for at least his remaining prime—if not for his entire career.
The 30-year-old longtime Colts standout guard figures to have at least a handful of peak football seasons left, and could command a deal of around $25M per year—making him one of the highest paid guards in football yet again. Per Spotrac, Nelson is projected to command an annual salary of around at $24.1M.
