Colts reportedly extend DT Adetomiwa Adebawore amid roster purge

Colts reportedly extend DT Adetomiwa Adebawore amid roster purge

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The Indianapolis Colts have agreed to a $35 million contract extension with defensive lineman Adetomiwa Adebawore, a move that keeps one of the franchise’s few building blocks in place while the front office dismantles the veteran core, NFL Network reported.

The deal, which includes a $13 million roster bonus and adds $22.5 million in new money through the 2027 season, signals that Indianapolis intends to keep its 25-year-old defensive tackle even as it purges established stars. Adebawore was set to become a free agent this offseason after playing out his four-year, $4.6 million rookie contract as a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

A Rare Bright Spot in a 2-6 Season

Adebawore has tied his career high with four sacks through eight games, adding 19 tackles and eight quarterback hits. Those numbers have made him one of the Colts’ more promising young players at a moment when the roster around him is thinning fast.

The extension lands in the middle of a sweeping rebuild. Longtime general manager Chris Ballard was dismissed on Oct. 19, and since then the Colts have begun offloading top veterans following a 2-6 start. On Oct. 27, Indianapolis traded perennial All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson to the Seahawks, then dealt former All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to the 49ers hours later. Those trades netted third- and fourth-round picks in 2027 and a fifth-round selection in 2028.

EXTENDED: Indianapolis Colts LOCK IN Adetomiwa Adebawore, Establish Him As Building Block

That fire sale has put several other veterans on the block. Three-time Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Taylor is reportedly available ahead of the NFL’s Nov. 10 trade deadline, and starting wide receiver Josh Downs has requested a trade. Adebawore was believed to be in that group as well, but the extension makes clear the Colts want him anchoring the defensive line for the long haul.

Why Keep a 25-Year-Old While Trading 27-, 30- and 32-Year-Olds?

The math favors youth. Taylor, 27, Nelson, 30, and Buckner, 32, are players better suited to teams ready to win now. Adebawore, still on the ascending side of his career at 25, can conceivably contribute to a Colts turnaround if the front office chooses to build around him beyond this extension. The contrast is stark: Indianapolis paid quarterback Daniel Jones a two-year, $88 million extension in the offseason, only to begin unloading the veterans around him weeks into the season.

While the departures of Nelson, Buckner and potentially Taylor dominate headlines, Adebawore’s new deal gives the franchise a homegrown defender under contract through 2027 at a time when the rest of the roster is in flux.

The extension runs through the 2027 season, giving Indianapolis two more years to evaluate whether Adebawore can grow from a promising rotational lineman into a foundational piece — or whether he too eventually joins the exodus if the rebuild stalls.

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