Indianapolis Colts Lock in Quenton Nelson Through 2022 Season

The Indianapolis Colts took a big step in keeping one of the league's top offensive lines intact Wednesday by exercising the fifth-year option of left guard Quenton Nelson.

Nelson has been an absolute monster for the team at his position since they selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2018 draft. He's been named to the Associated Press All-Pro Team in each of his first three seasons, according to the Colts website. The first player at any position to do so since 2015, and the only offensive lineman to ever to it.

Per NFL rules, all rookies drafted during one of the seven rounds of the annual NFL Draft get a four-year contract. Only the 32 selected in the first round have a fifth-year option automatically included in those contracts. The option gives teams the opportunity to keep a talented player around an extra year if he proves himself to be worth the investment which Nelson has no doubt done. The site, Front Office NFL.com has a good breakdown of how the pay structure works for players who have their option exercised. By exercising Nelson's option, the team locks in a key piece of their offensive line through the 2022 season.

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So far in his short career, Nelson has started every game and is a blast to watch. The dude loves to hit people and has become famous for pancaking opposing defensive lineman. In case you don't know what "pancaking" means, it's essentially blocking an opposing player until he's flat on the ground, like a pancake. This video from the NFL naming Nelson the 29th best player in the league in their annual Top 100 list following the 2019 season not only gives you a good idea of how Nelson likes to finish off a block but the type of player he is overall when it comes to protecting the quarterback and opening holes for his running backs to run through.

The move also buys the Colts a little more time to figure out how they'll be able to afford to keep Nelson on the team beyond the fifth year. If he continues to perform over the next two seasons the way he has during his first three, there's no doubt the Colts will have to offer him what I assume will likely be a record-breaking contract for a player at his position to keep him around. While it's easy for me to say as a fan, whatever that number is, and however ridiculous it may seem to the general public, it will be money well spent.

[Source: Indianapolis Colts]