Indianapolis Colts OT Anthony Castonzo

Everything is finally going right in Indianapolis for the Andrew Luck era. Luck is healthy, Frank Reich is a genius play-caller, and their offensive line is one of the best in football. Rookie All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson has gotten much of the credit for the offensive line coming together, but Anthony Castonzo has quietly taken his game to another level. The Colts left tackle has been one of the steadiest tackles in football since they took him in the first round in 2011. He was even rewarded with a four-year, $43.81 million contract extension in 2015, but now he’s in the last year of that deal. Can the Colts afford to let their franchise left tackle walk as the offense is on the cusp of being one of the leagues best?

Although he’s never made a Pro Bowl during his NFL career, Castonzo has been one of the most underrated offensive linemen for a long time. In his eight-year career, he’s only missed 12 games, five of which came last season. Castonzo has played on some up-and-down Colts teams in that time, but he’s always been at least an average level left tackle. Per PFF, he has only given up more than six sacks in a season once since coming into the league in 2011. He might not be the most dominating run blocker in the league, but his ability in pass pro is going to get him paid. The rapport between him and Nelson last year drove the Colts line play and helped them finish 10th in the league in pass-blocking efficiency, per PFF.

It’s no secret that even the most average of left tackles get paid on the open market in the NFL. The New York Giants gave Nate Solder a four-year, $62 million contract. Castonzo is a better football player than Solder, but it’s hard to see Chris Ballard and the Colts letting him hit the open market. The Colts are predicted to have the second-most cap space in 2020 and held back from spending this past offseason. They seem like they want to pay their players and keep the momentum going. As long as Castonzo isn’t demanding a ridiculous contract, it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll be leaving Indianapolis.

Colts 2020 predicted cap space: $76.2 million

Predicted contract: 4 years $56 million with Colts ($14M AAV)