The Indianapolis Colts announced last Thursday that they officially signed seventh-round pick Jonah Laulu. Over the Cap now has the details on what Laulu’s rookie deal will look like.
Laulu earned a standard four-year rookie contract that totals $4.124 million with a signing bonus of $104,520.
Laulu will receive the full signing bonus up front, but from a salary cap perspective, that $104,520 can be pro-rated over the life of the contract. Or, in short, the cap hit in 2024 from that bonus is just $26,130.
That pro-rated signing bonus amount plus a base salary of $795,000 makes up Laulu’s cap hit for this season, which totals $821,130.
Moving forward, beyond 2024, a $26,130 cap hit from the pro-rated signing bonus will be on the Colts’ books all four years of the contract, along with Laulu’s base salary increasing each year as well.
In 2025, Laulu’s base salary will be $960,000. In 2026 it increases to $1.075 million, and then $1.190 million in 2027.
Here is a look at what Laulu’s cap hit will be each season:
2024: $821,130
2025: $986,130
2026: $1.101 million
2027: $1.216 million
Late in the draft, it’s all about trying to identify a trait or two that teams believe can be developed over time. With Laulu, he is a versatile defender, playing up and down the defensive front in college, and he’s a very good athlete.
Laulu joins a very good Colts defensive front. Making the final roster will be a challenge, but a year of development could prove to be valuable.
