Colts Sign Young Defender to Contract Extension

The Indianapolis Colts have been focused on sending players out the door recently through trade as they embark on an arduous rebuild, but one player they knew they wanted to invest in has been secured.

On Tuesday, the Colts signed defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore to a two-year contract extension, worth $35 million, including a $13 million signing bonus, as first reported by Tom Pelissero of The Ringer.

"The Colts and DT Adetomiwa Adebawore agreed to terms on a two-year, $35 million extension that includes a $13M signing bonus and $22.5M in new money through 2027," Pelissero posted on X. "Still only 25, Adebawore has a chance to get back to the market again as he enters his prime. The deal was negotiated by (Kenny Zuckerman) of (Priority Sports)."

The signing bonus ranks as the 24th-highest in the NFL among interior defenders.

Adebawore (6'2", 282, 25 years old) was a fourth-round pick by the Colts in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Northwestern who broke numerous defensive-line workout records before the draft at the Scouting Combine.

Before signing his new deal, Adebawore found himself in a pivotal fourth and final year of his rookie contract.

He's steadily improved each year, from an explosive, yet rarely productive interior pass-rusher, to a well-rounded interior player who's capable on all three downs against the run and pass.

The Colts made the difficult decision to trade away three-time Pro Bowler DeForest Buckner last week, which paved the way for Adebawore to become the team's starting three-technique defensive tackle.

This season, Adebawore, who has also received trade interest from other teams, already has a career-best 4.0 sacks, which leads the Colts, as do his five tackles for loss.

His 17 QB pressures are tied for 22nd in the NFL among defensive tackles despite his 200 total defensive snaps and 118 pass-rush snaps being fewer than everyone above him, according to Pro Football Focus. His 84.2 pass-rush grade ranks third among all defensive tackles. His pass-rush productivity of 9.4 is the best, and his pass-rush win rate of 15.2% is fifth.

In 51 career games (nine starts), Adebawore has 67 tackles (13 for loss), 10.5 sacks, 20 QB hits, one fumble recovery, and two pass breakups.

Along with Adebawore, the Colts also have defensive tackle Grover Stewart, Jerry Tillery, Tim Smith, and Kevin Givens on the active roster, with Cam Ball on the practice squad.