Colts star wide receiver T.Y. Hilton wants to sign his final contract with Indianapolis and retire with the franchise after the end of the deal.
Hilton, who is entering the final year of his current pact, told ESPN on Wednesday that he had contract discussions with the Colts this off-season, but the team put those talks on hold once the coronavirus pandemic hit.
“It takes two sides,” Hilton said. “It’s up to [Colts admin-ajax.php Jim] Irsay and [general manager] Chris [Ballard] to get the job done. I want to be a Colt. So you heard it from me.”
Hilton, who turns 31 in November, said the contract — if the parties can reach an agreement — will be his last in the NFL, regardless of the deal’s length.
“Whether it’s two years, three years, four years,” Hilton said. “Whatever it is.”
Hilton is coming off the worst season of his eight-year NFL career. He recorded 45 catches for 501 yards and five touchdowns in a career-low 10 regular-season games in 2019.
The four-time Pro Bowl wideout missed six games last season because of injuries. He missed only four games in the first seven years of his career combined. During that span, he notched five 1,000-yard seasons and led the league in receiving yards in 2016.
“I kind of let my teammates down last year being hurt, being injured, things you really can’t control,” Hilton said. “It’s not like you’re playing Madden and cutting injuries off. … I’m working out twice a day, so I don’t let my teammates down. My motivation is to getting back to where I was, and that’s getting back on top of the game.”
The Colts selected Hilton in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft out of FIU. Since entering the league, he has tallied 552 receptions for 8,598 receiving yards and 45 touchdowns.
