Anthony Castonzo decided after serious consideration to return to play football in 2020, and the Colts are paying him accordingly.
Indianapolis and Castonzo have agreed to terms on a new contract, the team announced Sunday. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the deal is for two years and worth $33 million.
At an average annual salary of $16.5 million, the 31-year-old lineman becomes the highest-paid left tackle in the NFL, even if his deal is not incredibly long. Interestingly, he still trails Philadelphia Eaglesright tackle Lane Johnson in that department, as Johnson leads all linemen in annual average salary at $18 million per season.
Castonzo posted an overall grade of 81.3 in 2019, tying him with fellow veteran Joe Staley (San Francisco 49ers) for the No. 7 tackle rating in the entire NFL, per Pro Football Focus. Castonzo was especially effective in the passing game, allowing just five quarterback hits and 34 total pressures in the entire 2019 season.
Indianapolis' deal with Castonzo is both a wise investment and a demonstration of appreciation for Castonzo, who seriously thought about retiring after the 2019 season. Colts general manager Chris Ballard was happy to announce at the NFL Scouting Combine that Castonzo had decided to return. All that was left was getting a deal done with the tackle, who was scheduled to hit free agency at the start of the new league year. Now that that is finished, the Colts can move onto pressing needs elsewhere.
