Colts Spending Money (not on Manning)

[Mr. Laz]

Robert Mathis gets reported $36 million over four years

Posted by Evan Silva on March 5, 2012, 9:47 PM EST

AP
Defensive end Robert Mathis turned 31 last month, but the Colts believe he’s got several good years left.

According to Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star, Mathis’ new contract — announced by the club Monday evening — is valued at $36 million over four seasons.

Per Chappell, Mathis received a $15 million signing bonus. That’s a lot of up-front money and proration, so this is hardly a phony four-year deal. Chappell also reports that Mathis will get $17 million in the contract’s first year and $24 million over the first two.

Add Mathis’ $17 million in first-year payments to teammate Dwight Freeney’s $14.035 million base salary, and the Colts will be forking over in excess of $31 million to two defensive ends, both over the age of 30, in 2012.

Unless Freeney, 32, is quietly on the chopping block and we just don’t know it yet.

[O.city]

So if they keep Manning and Freeney, thats near 75 million in three players.