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Gary Brackett's contract is up in 13 days, but that doesn't mean he's going to hit the free agent market. He has said he wants to be back in Indianapolis, and the Colts have said they want to keep him, so he's going to remain a Colt."Gary has expressed his great desire to retire a Colt," agent Brian Mackler told Phil Richards of the Indianapolis Star. "I'm going to do my best to honor his wishes and Bill [Polian] and I are going to continue to talk."
Just the fact that they're talking is a good sign. If the Colts didn't want him around, or if he was asking too much, Polian would stop the talks dead in their tracks. He's not a guy who will get pushed around at the negotiating table, so as long as he feels like he's getting a fair shake Brackett will get his new deal.
It's not going to break the bank and will probably only cost them about $7 million in guarantees and $4-5 million per season in base salary. He's only a middle-of-the-road starter, but he is the guy who makes that defense go the same way Peyton makes the offense go, so it's absolutely essential that he stay a Colt.
If he hit the market, he would probably get a pretty decent pay-day, but he and the Colts need each other. He'll be a Colt next season and will probably have a new deal within the week.
