Colts Sign Breakout DT Adetomiwa Adebawore to Two-Year, $35 Million Extension
Indianapolis locks up its sack leader instead of trading him, giving the 25-year-old $13 million to sign and $22.5 million in new money through 2027
The Colts weren't kidding when they told teams Adetomiwa Adebawore was staying put. Indianapolis and its breakout defensive tackle agreed to terms Tuesday on a two-year, $35 million extension, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported.
The deal includes a $13 million signing bonus and $22.5 million in new money through 2027. At 25, Adebawore gets paid now and still has a path back to the open market in his prime.
The #Colts and DL Adetomiwa Adebawore have agreed to terms on a two-year, $35 million extension that includes a $13 million signing bonus and $22.5 million in new money through 2027. Adebawore, 25, cashes in on a breakout season in a deal negotiated by @kenny_zuckerman ofView on X →
Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo): The #Colts and DL Adetomiwa Adebawore have agreed to terms on a two-year, $35 million extension that includes a $13 million signing bonus and $22.5 million in new money through 2027. Adebawore, 25, cashes in on a breakout season in a deal negotiated by @kenny_zuckerman of
It's the logical end to a story that played out over the last week. Adebawore was set to hit free agency after this season, and he drew trade calls as Indianapolis sold off veterans before the Nov. 10 deadline. The Colts told teams he wasn't available, and Garafolo said at the time that keeping him likely meant working out an extension before he reached the market. That's exactly what happened.
He earned it. The 2023 fourth-round pick out of Northwestern has been the bright spot of a rough season up front, with four sacks through seven games, including a two-sack, five-tackle day in the Week 7 loss at Minnesota. He leads the Colts in both sacks and pressures.
His role only got bigger once the sell-off started. Indianapolis traded DeForest Buckner to San Francisco and Quenton Nelson to Seattle last week, which left Adebawore as the centerpiece of the interior line alongside veteran Grover Stewart, whose own name has come up as a deadline candidate.
For a team tearing pieces down, the extension is a clear signal of who it's building around. Adebawore is young, productive and now locked in on a short deal that doesn't tie up the books long term.