The Colts have locked up one of their most important players for years to come.
Left tackle Bernhard Raimann, a former tight end at Central Michigan who has blossomed into one of the team’s most indispensable pieces, signed a four-year contract extension worth $100 million, a team source confirmed.
Raimann, a 2022 third-round pick, was entering the final year of his rookie contract but the extension keeps him off the market next spring. He has shown dramatic improvement in each year of his career and last season took a leap that demonstrated he could man the critical position for the foreseeable future.
But the Colts think there’s more room for Raimann to continue his growth. He has only been an offensive tackle since his junior year in college, during the Covid-shortened 2020 season (six games).
The Austrian-born Raimann came to the United States as an exchange student in his junior year of high school, allowing him to continue learning football, which he’d been introduced to in his native country. That led to his quick ascension and an opportunity to play in college.
But despite his quick development in Indianapolis, there was some doubt about whether this deal might get done.
As recently as last week, Raimann suggested during an interview with Indianapolis radio station 107.5-FM that the respective sides were far apart in negotiations.
“From my understanding, they’re not on the same page,” he said. “From my understanding, it’s that the numbers don’t quite add up yet, the way [the Colts] value my position differently than my [agents] think it is. But we’re working on it.”
Keeping Raimann in place was important for Colts because of the timing. Indianapolis is revamping its offensive line after the free-agency departures of four-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries. Both players joined the Minnesota Vikings.
NFL.com first reported Raimann’s signing.
