The Indianapolis Colts have made a decision on the contract of right tackle Braden Smith just hours before the legal tampering period opens.
After Smith missed the final five games of the season due to personal reasons, it was unclear what his future looked like with the Colts. He still had a year remaining on his contract, and general manager Chris Ballard was vague when discussing the topic at the NFL Scouting Combine a few weeks ago.
However, the two sides reportedly agreed to a revised contract that will keep him with the Colts for the 2025 season, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. He is still slated to be a free agent following the season.
Before the contract restructure, Smith was going into the final year of the four-year, $70 million extension he signed ahead of the 2021 season. He was set to account for a $19.75 million cap hit for the 2025 season, the fourth-highest on the team, per Spotrac.
It will be interesting to see what kind of changes the Colts made to his contract because he is a vital part of the offense. Smith plays at a Pro Bowl level when he’s on the field, but he missed seven games in 2023 due to injuries and the final five games of the season in 2024 due to an undisclosed personal matter.
With Smith returning, though, the Colts now have to focus on potentially replacing only the right guard spot if Will Fries walks in free agency. It’s also likely the Colts will have a new center as Ryan Kelly is a free agent, but second-year player Tanor Bortolini is expected to take over that role.
The Colts will need to be an active team in free agency this offseason, and Smith’s contract restructure could help them do that.
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