T.Y. Hilton's Contract Details with Cowboys Revealed
Former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton finally ended his free agency on Monday and signed with the Dallas Cowboys.
It's a solid move for both sides, as Hilton got to spend his fall locally near Indianapolis with his family and now joins a contending team in Dallas, who has a top-five record in the NFL currently at 10-3. The Cowboys have been investigating veteran wide receiver help recently, highlighted by Odell Beckham Jr. Ultimately, they went with Hilton, who is healthy and ready to contribute.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero provided details on Hilton's new contract with the Cowboys, which is prorated as there are only four weeks remaining in the regular season, and incentive-laden given that he's an aging player with a recent history of injuries.
"New #Cowboys WR T.Y. Hilton’s deal:
$600K guaranteed salary for remaining four games
$50K per-game roster bonuses
Up to $700K playoff incentives
Max value: $1.5 million
A solid deal for Hilton, who waited for the right situation and lands in Dallas."
Hilton's new head coach, Mike McCarthy commented on the signing, per Jon Machota of The Athletic, calling the move a “great addition."
"We’ll get him out there Wednesday and get him acclimated," McCarthy continued. "He had a workout. Everything passed with flying colors. The timing is right. He’s ready to go.”
This deal gives Hilton enough guaranteed money to make it worth his time to go down to Dallas to play but also allows him to prove that he's still got what it takes to contribute with other bonuses.
Hilton and the Colts kept in contact throughout the offseason, but early in the 2022 campaign, it was evident that the two signs would not reconnect as the Colts hung a sign from the side of Lucas Oil Stadium with a photo of Hilton that said, "Thank you for the memories!" across it.
Entering the season, many onlookers thought the Colts could really use Hilton's help. The team already had one top receiver in Michael Pittman Jr., who posted his first 1,000-yard season in 2021, but the depth behind him was a mixed bag of inexperience and question marks. Because of that, bringing in a proven veteran like Hilton was a logical possibility.
"The Ghost" ranks statistically among the best receivers in franchise history and has been the team's main target in the passing game since 2013. However, combining his age and injury history, the Colts had to wonder if it was worth it.
Hilton turned 33 years old during the season and has dealt with injuries over the last four years. He missed 16 games between 2018-21 and hasn't been able to play a full slate of games since 2017.
Since being drafted by the Colts in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, Hilton has been a star and the team's biggest constant on offense. In 143 games (121 starts), he has 631 receptions for 9,691 yards (15.4 avg.) and 53 touchdowns.
With this indeed being indeed the end for Hilton and the Colts, he finishes his career with the franchise just 309 yards short of becoming only the third player in team history to reach 10,000 career receiving yards, joining Marvin Harrison (14,580) and Reggie Wayne (14,345).
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