Indianapolis Colts Contract Issues

It is early in the summer and the Colts are already running into issues with players not participating in their offseason workouts and team practices. Three players have decided to sit out all team activities due to the fact that they desire new contracts. It wouldn't be much problem except that they are all Pro Bowl caliber players. Reggie Wayne, Robert Mathis and Antoine Bethea are the players that are sitting out at Colts camp.
Both Reggie Wayne and Robert Mathis have been important players on the team for several years. Antoine Bethea has climbed the ranks and asserted himself as a quality safety in this league. Wayne and Mathis each have two years remaining on their current deals while Bethea is refusing to sign the Colts one year $2.521 million offer. This is going to get sticky because Bill Polian is not planning on addressing the contracts because of the murky labor situation between the owners and the NFL Players Association. Polian has let the player's agents know that they really do not even know how to renegotiate a deal without a collective bargaining agreement being in place. While the players are sitting out now, you can bet your bottom dollar that as soon as it starts costing them paychecks they will hit the practice field.

If you want to see a regular dude get upset, tell him that a superstar football player is refusing to report to camp because he wants more money. This is usually something that a Colts fan does not have to deal with because of the veteran leadership on the team. Here is an interesting bit of information to wrap your head around. Peyton Manning is in his last year of his contract. Have you heard about him sitting out of practices? Has he made a big deal out of it in the media? This dude is a multiple time NFL MVP and is not making a peep about his contract. Owner Jim Irsay has stated that they plan on making Manning the highest paid player in the league but have not set a date to do so yet. Should Manning sit on his helmet and pout about it? No, he showed up for the fans this weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium and ran through three days of practice

If Wayne, Mathis and Bethea enjoy playing for a winning team they might need to check their egos at the door. Sure, sure they all three are great players but I don't think they have the skins on the wall to be creating a stir about their contracts. Come on fellas, you play for the Indianapolis Colts. This isn't the Raiders or the Browns. The front office has been pretty classy for several years and the players that deserve to be rewarded get what is coming to them. Don't mess up a good thing because of a contract dispute.