From Austria to U.S., from tight end to tackle; Colts' Bernhard Raimann is a $100 million left tackle

Indianapolis Star

a day ago

$60 million of Bernhard Raimann's new 4-year, $100-million contract is guaranteed
Bernhard Raimann: 'I've always believed in myself. But I don't think I've ever thought it all the way through (financially), to be honest.'
Raimann told his agent he wanted to be a Colt and he wouldn't holdout during negotiating
WESTFIELD, Ind. — Colts left tackle Bernhard Raimann has always known where he wanted to get in his career.
But he never thought about the implications.
Not until Monday.
Raimann signed a four-year contract extension on Monday worth $60 million guaranteed and up to $100 million overall, numbers that never seriously crossed his mind as he made his way from Austria to the United States, from high school football to Central Michigan, from tight end to tackle and finally from a raw prospect to one of the NFL's highest-paid offensive linemen.
The big left tackle got to this point by staying focused on the task in front of him.
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'I've always believed in myself,' Raimann said. 'But I don't think I've ever thought it all the way through, to be honest.'
Raimann has always had big goals. But those goals were more about the football than the financial.
'The goal was always to be the best tackle in the league,' Raimann said. 'No doubt about it.'
Raimann's work ethic was a big reason why Indianapolis drafted him.
An even bigger reason why the Colts were comfortable handing him a contract that ties him for the sixth-biggest deal given to a tackle by average annual value.
The first time Indianapolis offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr. met Raimann, it was in the facility in the middle of winter. The dead part of the offseason, the days when a lot of NFL players are on vacation, resting their bodies in preparation for the work ahead.
Raimann emerged from the Colts' indoor facility drenched in sweat, exhausted from putting himself through the paces.
A lot of players talk about the importance of making daily improvements on their own; Raimann has put it into practice. When Central Michigan asked Raimann to switch from tight end to left tackle after his sophomore year of college, the world was shut down as a result of COVID-19. Raimann essentially had to learn the position on his own, and he laid the foundation to become a third-round pick.
Raimann has never lost that devotion to his craft.
'The way he goes about his business and works to improve (stands out),' offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said. 'He's done such a nice job of representing himself and representing what we want this program to be.'
Handing a major contract to a player with that kind of work ethic is always a little easier ... even if this negotiation had its challenges.
Raimann's agent, Chase Callahan, and the Colts talked about the left tackle's contract extension throughout the offseason. For a long time, the two sides were not close on the numbers; Raimann opened training camp by telling Jake Query of 107.5 The Fan's 'Query and Company" that the two sides weren't on the same page.
Despite the comment, Raimann had tried not to think about it.
He'd given his agents two requirements for his next contract.
No. 1, Raimann wanted to be a Colt. He did not want to test free agency.
No. 2, Raimann wanted to keep practicing. A holdout was never a possibility.
When training camp opened without a new deal — NFL teams typically offer extensions to their best young players after their third season, when an extension is possible and a year remains before they hit free agency — Raimann tried to focus solely on football.
'You think about it,' Raimann said. 'You know you want to be here, you know you want the security for your family, but at the same time, you have a season to focus on.'
Outside of his radio interview last week, when Raimann was asked a direct question about his contract negotiations, he had tried to keep his thoughts to himself.
'I tried to stay out of it as much as I could,' Raimann said.
In reality, a deal was likely always on the way.
Under general manager Chris Ballard, the Colts have almost always locked up their extension candidates before the final year of their contract began, even if it meant taking it all the way down to the wire — All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson agreed to his big-money deal the night before the 2022 season opener.
Ballard has also always prioritized his offensive line, and after two years of uneven play at left tackle following Anthony Castonzo's retirement, the Colts know exactly how important the left tackle position is to a team.
Beyond the quarterback, there is arguably no offensive position more important than the man who protects the blind side. A great left tackle presents an enormous problem for opposing defenses, who have to decide whether or not to sacrifice their best rusher at the altar of trying to get to the quarterback's back.
'It's kind of like running into a brick wall,' defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. 'Do you want to do that all day? It makes you think, take it to the next level setting up your rushes and your blitz packages to stay away from that guy.'
Raimann is still developing.
But he has improved by leaps and bounds every season. Raimann gave up nine sacks in 11 games as a rookie, seven in 15 starts in 2023 and just four in 14 starts a year ago.
The way he's worked on his own, Raimann might be on the cusp of putting himself in discussion among the game's best offensive tackles if he can take another leap.
And that made him a high-priced commodity, handing him the sort of contract that never crossed his mind when he was focused on reaching the next step.
Raimann signed his deal on Monday, then headed right into practice on Tuesday, supported by the celebration of the team at the news he'd been given an extension.
'Honestly, I haven't even had much time to sit down and realize it,' Raimann said. 'It all seems a little bit like a dream right now.'
Indianapolis has an off day on Wednesday, giving Raimann a chance to sit down with his wife and take it all in Tuesday night.
To realize just how far he's come.