The Indianapolis Colts have placed the first-round tender on Antoine Bethea, indicating that the safety who started all 16 games last season won’t be going anywhere.
Another team could sign Bethea to an offer sheet, but if the Colts declined to match an offer within seven days they’d get back the team’s first-round draft pick. Bethea was selected to the Pro Bowl, but it seems unlikely that another team would be willing to give up a first-round pick to get him.
Bethea, who has four years of experience, is one of the couple hundred players whose contracts are up but who are restricted in free agency in an uncapped year.
The first-round tender gives Bethea a one-year contract offer worth $2.521 million.
