Report: Quenton Nelson Expected to Get $20M AAV in Potential Colts Contract Extension

Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson is reportedly expected to make a record $20 million per year when he signs a new contract.

According to Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post, executives and agents across the league are anticipating that salary for Nelson, which would set a record for an interior offensive lineman.

La Canfora also reported that Nelson and the Colts have been working to get a deal done before their season-opening game at the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Nelson is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2022, and he will play at a salary of $13.8 million after the Colts exercised the fifth-year option in his deal.

Indy made Nelson the No. 6 pick in the 2018 draft out of Notre Dame, and he has lived up to his draft status and then some.

In four NFL seasons, Nelson is a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro. Last season was the first time he failed to achieve first-team All-Pro status, and that may be primarily because he missed four games, marking the first occasion he missed time during his NFL career.

The 26-year-old still earned second-team All-Pro honors, and he played a huge role in the success of the Colts running game.

With Nelson paving the way, running back Jonathan Taylor led the league with 332 carries, 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns in only his second season.

Indianapolis was also second in the NFL with 149.4 rushing yards per game, plus it ranked ninth in scoring despite suspect quarterback play at times from Carson Wentz.

The Colts perhaps upgraded the quarterback position during the offseason by acquiring 2016 MVP Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons, and Nelson will play a sizable role in protecting the veteran.

Indianapolis has the option of placing the franchise tag on Nelson for 2023 if a long-term deal can't be reached, but given his status as an elite player, it seems likely that the Colts would love to lock him in for the long haul.