The Indianapolis Colts have secured defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore on a two-year, $35 million contract extension, according to a report from NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
The agreement includes a $13 million signing bonus and delivers $22.5 million in new money through the 2027 season, providing the Colts with control of the player well before he reaches free agency
The deal comes as the Colts are in the middle of a fire sale before the NFL trade deadline.
Adebawore had drawn interest from other clubs on the trade market, yet Indianapolis chose to retain him rather than move him.
Team decision-makers view the 25-year-old as a contributor they want to build around as the roster evolves. By completing the deal now, the Colts remove the possibility of losing him for nothing after the current season and signal that he remains part of their plans moving forward.
Adebawore arrived in the NFL as a fourth-round selection, taken 110th overall in the 2023 draft out of Northwestern.
He had been a three-year starter for the Wildcats and earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten recognition in both 2021 and 2022.
His original rookie contract was a four-year deal valued at roughly $4.6 million that carried a signing bonus just under $800,000. Those early years showed modest production as he adjusted to the professional level, but his role has grown.
Through eight games in 2026, Adebawore has recorded 19 total tackles, four tackles for loss, four sacks, and two passes defended.
The sack total already matches his previous single-season high, underscoring the step forward he has taken this year. That production helps explain why the Colts were willing to commit significant money despite earlier speculation that he could be available in a trade.
For Adebawore, the extension offers both immediate financial security and a relatively short-term structure. At 25, he remains young enough that the deal positions him to return to the open market while still in his athletic prime.
The Colts, meanwhile, gain cost certainty on a productive interior defender without tying themselves to a longer-term commitment that would extend deep into his late twenties.
The transaction fits a broader pattern in which Indianapolis has evaluated its veteran core and decided which pieces warrant continued investment.
In Adebawore’s case, the organization determined that his combination of youth, recent production, and remaining upside made an extension preferable to exploring trade options.
With the new contract in place, both sides have clarity for the next two seasons, and the defensive tackle can focus on continuing the progress he has shown on the field this year.
