Left tackle Anthony Castonzo confirmed that he’s discussing a new deal with the Colts, as Zak Keefer of the Indy Star writes. Recently, team owner Jim Irsay expressed optimism about getting a new deal done with the tackle, so it’s not a big surprise to hear that the two sides have started on contract talks.
“We have a little time with trying to work on a few extensions,” Irsay said. “There’s no reason Anthony Castonzo and T.Y. Hilton can’t get done. Look for us to keep core players and our top players. I don’t think it’ll be a distraction. I can’t see why we can’t get something done before Labor Day with T.Y. and Anthony.”
As a former first-round pick with a fifth-year option, Castonzo will earn a $7.438MM salary this season if he doesn’t agree to a new deal. Castonzo, who turns 27 on Sunday, took over the Colts’ left tackle job on a full-time basis shortly after being selected by the club in the first round of the 2011 draft. In 2013, he ranked 27th out of 76 qualified offensive tackles, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). In 2014, he placed 12th out of 84 qualified tackles, likely increasing his value even further. For his part, Castonzo isn’t sweating a new deal.
“If you play well, you get taken care of, that’s sort of the way I see it,” Castonzo said Monday morning.