Indianapolis Colts Make Bob Sanders Highest Paid Safety in NFL, Five Years for $37.5M

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The Indianapolis Colts made Bob Sanders the highest paid safety in the National Football League today with a five-year, $37.5 million contract. And $20 million is guaranteed. It’s an impressive pay day, but I believe Bob deserves it. I can’t think of too many players who have as much impact on their football team as Bob Sanders does for the Indianapolis defense. They are a different team when he’s in the game. Not only does he play with extreme intensity, but he’s also a very smart player and incredibly quick to the football. He’s like a human wrecking ball. One knock on him has always been his height, but he’s more than made up for it with his desire and will.

The only thing I see that’s been a drawback to his game is his durability. Bob plays with such fury, he’s often injured. Last season, when he missed 12 regular-season games, the Colts allowed a league-worst 5.3 yards per carry. When he returned in the playoffs, the Colts obviously made a dramatic turnaround and wound up winning the Super Bowl. But he’s only missed one game this season and as a result, the Colts defense ranks first in the league against the pass and they’ve got the YPC down to 3.9. In an AP interview today, he said:

“It was just about being a player, being competitive. I wanted to show everyone I could stay healthy. There were a lot of questions about whether I could stay healthy and I wanted to prove to everyone and myself that I could stay healthy, be consistent and play well.”

I’ve known Bob for a long time. He grew up in nearby Erie, PA (I used to live in Erie) and played high school ball for local Cathedral Prep. He wasn’t recruited by Penn State so he went to Iowa, but he’ll always be a Pennsylvanian. I’ve interviewed him twice and found him to be genuinely a nice person. And humble. The last time I spoke with Bob he told me he wouldn’t want to play anywhere else but Indy. And now he’s got his wish. He’s a heck of a football player and deserving of being the NFL’s top-paid safety. I can think of several players who deserve the honor, safeties who play with just as much passion and heart, but Bob would be at the top of my list.