According to ESPN’s Stephen Holder, there’s no imminent deadline deal between the Colts and G Quenton Nelson ahead of Week 1 today.
The two sides beat the clock at the last minute to get Nelson locked up the last time he was up for a new deal. Holder said this time the two sides didn’t seem to be close.
He adds typically the Colts don’t like to do major deals in-season, although there are times they make exceptions. It’s unclear if talks between Nelson and the Colts will continue, per Holder.
The two sides never built up much momentum toward a contract extension this offseason. Nelson is in a decent place to play out his deal, due $18 million in cash this year and slated to make well over $25 million on the franchise tag if the Colts elect to use it to retain him in 2027.
Nelson, 30, is a former first-round pick of the Colts out of Notre Dame in the 2018 NFL Draft. He was entering the fourth year of a four-year, $23.888 million rookie contract that included a $15.543 million signing bonus when the Colts exercised Nelson’s fifth-year option, worth $13.8 million in 2022.
Nelson was in line to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023 when he signed a four-year, $80 million extension, breaking the record for a guard at the time.
In 2025, Nelson appeared in all 17 games for the Colts with 17 starts at guard. Pro Football Focus graded him as the No. 4 guard out of 79 qualifying players.
We’ll have more on Nelson as the news is available.
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