The Colts didn't wait long to elevate Darius Leonard to the pinnacle of the linebacker pay pyramid.
Leonard and the Colts have agreed to a five-year, $99.25 million extension, ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷ÍøNetwork Insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday. The team announced the signing later Sunday.
The new deal makes Leonard the highest-paid inside linebacker in the NFL, includes $52.5 million in guaranteed money and is scheduled to pay Leonard $20 million per year over the first three years, Rapoport added.
Leonard has been named an All-Pro in each of his three seasons, including two first-team selections in 2018 and 2020. The former second-round pick has been an instant and consistent producer, averaging 9.9 tackles per game in his three-year career while leading the league in tackles in 2018 and twice finishing in the top eight in the ¹ú²úÍâÁ÷Íøin the category.
The athletic Leonard is capable of playing sideline-to-sideline, chasing down ballcarriers and occasionally harassing quarterbacks with 15 career sacks to his name. And perhaps most importantly, Leonard is a master at shutting down rushing attempts headed toward the middle of the defense's second level, giving the Colts a reliable stopper in the heart of their defense.
Leonard's deal was the latest and perhaps greatest in terms of importance to the Colts, who have made it a priority to secure their key players' services for years to come. After locking up right tackle Braden Smith with a new extension, Indianapolis has ensured its top defender isn't going anywhere for the next half decade.
