Inside The Panthers

Pitt's Matt Goncalves Signs First NFL Contract

Former Pitt Panthers tackle Matt Goncalves has inked his first NFL contract.

Stephen Thompson

Oct 1, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers offensive lineman Matt Goncalves
Oct 1, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers offensive lineman Matt Goncalves / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers offensive tackle has officially locked in his spot with the Indianapolis Colts as his NFL career finally gets underway.

After the Colts used their 2024 third round pick on the former Pitt star, they signed him to a four-year rookie contract worth $5,389,000 in all with a $1,066,000 signing bonus, according to a report from KPRC2's Aaron Wilson.

Goncalves was Pitt's lone representative on the 2023 Preseason All-ACC First-Team but made it just three games into his final season as a Panther before suffering a season-ending injury. He stuck with the team through the end of the season to help an offensive line unit riddled with injuries survive and improve during a difficult season.

Goncalves leaves Pitt after making 24 total starts at tackle, the vast majority of which came over the last two seasons, when he helped push the Panthers to an ACC Championship and 20 wins from 2021 to 2022. He also earned third-team All-ACC honors after the 2022 campaign. He landed with the Colts as the No. 79 overall pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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