Tom James
Tribune-Star Correspondent
INDIANAPOLIS —
It may have taken a bit longer than expected, but free safety Antoine Bethea has finally agreed on a deal with the Indianapolis Colts.
The contract extension was accomplished Friday but the exact length and financial terms were not announced, however.
Bethea had sat out the team’s voluntary organized team activity practices as well as last weekend’s three-day mandatory minicamp. He couldn’t take part in the workouts until a new contract was signed.
“It’s a big burden off my shoulders,” he admitted during a late afternoon press conference. “It feels real good. I’m just real thankful to the Colts’ organization, [team owner] Mr. [Jim] Irsay, for both sides reaching an agreement and getting it done. [Friday] is a great day for me and my family.
“Being the situation that it is, with the [collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the player’s union set to expire in March], they really didn’t have to extend a long term agreement to me. But by them doing that, it just shows the commitment that Mr. Irsay, [team president] Bill [Polian] and [general manager] Chris Polian have in keeping this core group together and to try to win another [Super Bowl] championship.”
Bethea was the Colts’ last remaining restricted free agent to come to an agreement. He had initially been offered a one-year tender by Indianapolis that was worth $2.521 million. If the two sides had not come to an agreement by June 15, the Colts could have offered him a reduced one-year tender.
“It’s nice to get it done,’’ Bill Polian told the Indianapolis Star on Friday. “He could have played on the [restricted] tender or the reduced tender, but we said all along our goal was to get him under a long-term contract and we have.’’
Chris Polian echoed his father’s statement.
“It’s a great day. Anytime, as an organization, when you can retain the services of both a person and player of Antoine’s contributions to our community and team. We’re very happy to announce that,” he said. “We’d like to thank to parties has we move forward. The first is, obviously, Mr. Irsay’s ongoing and strong commitment to keep the best team possible on the field as we move forward and once again rewarding a player who has been a significant part of the success we’ve had the good fortune to have here.
“We’d also like to thank Antoine and his representatives for working with us over the course of this offseason on being able to get the deal done. It’s been a long process that probably tried their patience at times, but got us to the good place that we’re at [now]. We’re very to Mr. Irsay and for Antoine’s desire to remain with the Colts. It’s going to be great to have [No.] 41 with us as we move forward.”
Bethea has started all 59 games, including the last 32 consecutively. He has 446 career tackles (269 solo), along with 12 passes deflected, eleven interceptions, two fumbles forced and two fumbles recovered.
The 5-foot-11, 203-pound safety has topped 100 tackles in three different seasons (105, 2006; 126, 2008; 120, 2009). Additionally, he has opened nine career playoff games and has four career post-season interceptions.
Bethea started all four playoff games as a rookie in 2006, when the Colts won Super Bowl XLI. He earned Pro Bowl honors following the 2007 and 2009 seasons.
