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Colts Offensive Line Faces Major Questions this Offseason

The Indianapolis Colts' starting offensive line is in flux heading into the 2025 offseason.

Zach Hicks

Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly (78) talks with Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson (56) on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, during a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly (78) talks with Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson (56) on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, during a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
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General Manager Chris Ballard has always been a fan of building the Indianapolis Colts through the trenches, opting to spend big on offensive and defensive lines. Heading into a pivotal offseason for the team, he has several massive decisions to make along the offensive line.

The Colts offensive line was a strength heading into last season, headlined by superstar left guard Quenton Nelson. The team returned all five starters from the year prior, and 2024 got off to a red-hot start for the veteran offensive line. Right guard Will Fries looked like an All-Pro through six weeks and left tackle Bernhard Raimann continued his strong stretch of play from the prior years.

The high level of player up front began to fade in week six, however, as Fries suffered a season-ending ankle injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Replacing him was undrafted rookie Dalton Tucker who was a major downgrade for seven weeks until he was benched for veteran Mark Glowinski. This hole on the right side was further exasperated by injuries/personal issues that limited Braden Smith to just 12 games played.

Add time missed by Ryan Kelly and Raimann and the Colts' offensive line faded down the stretch a good bit. As the team heads into this offseason, several questions must be asked along the trenches. Should the team entertain re-signing Fries and Kelly? What should the team do about Smith? Are Matt Goncalves and/or Tanor Bortolini ready to start next season?

Let's dive into these questions today.

Massive Pending Free Agents

Ryan Kelly and Will Fries (blue jerseys) run out from the tunnel out onto the field.
Indianapolis Colts guard Will Fries (75) and center Ryan Kelly (78) enter the field before the game against New Orleans, Sunday., Oct 29, 2023, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Two of the Colts' five starters on the offensive line are set to become free agents this offseason. Kelly, the long-time captain is currently the longest-tenured player on the roster. A former first-round pick under then-general manager Ryan Grigson, Kelly is one of the few players who's survived the roster purges.

At his peak, Kelly is a four time pro bowler and a second-team All-Pro in his nine year career with the Colts. He has been a team captain for a majority of his tenure, and his chemistry with Nelson has been a staple of the Colts' offensive line for years. Even last year, in a down season, he played quite well down the stretch as the Colts' run game caught fire to close out the season.

The reality of the situation is that Kelly is a 31-year-old player with an extensive injury history at his position. The Colts would probably be wise to let the veteran walk, even if that means starting a player who isn't quite as good on the field. According to Mike Chappell of Fox59, that appears to be the direction this is heading.

The other major internal free agent is Fries. Fries is a former seventh-round pick who gradually grew into his starting role on the right side. He was enjoying a massive breakout season this past year prior to breaking his ankle in week six. A source inside the Colts' building recently said that Fries was the Colts' best player on the offensive line in that six-game stretch.

The decision to re-sign Fries should be much easier than the Kelly decision, but it doesn't come without questions as well. How much will the 26-year-old guard command on the open market? He doesn't have accolades to his name and is coming off of a season-ending injury, but this is an offensive lineman-starved league. Does he approach $12 million a year? Maybe up to $15 million per year?

Even if his pricetag does hit that high, are the Colts in a position to let a talented young player walk? If they are already letting Kelly hit the market, letting another strong starter on the offensive line test as well could be dangerous. Unlike with Kelly, the Colts don't have an internal option to replace Fries either. It would almost be roster malpractice to let a player of Fries' caliber touch the market this offseason.

Even if it would be insane though, there is always the possibility of the Colts losing Fries on the open market come March.

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What Happens with Braden Smith?

Colts offensive tackle Braden Smith (all-white uniform) looks on before the start of a game.
Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Braden Smith (72) walks the sidelines Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, during a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. / Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The third starter in question is right tackle Smith. Smith is a Pro Bowl-caliber right tackle that has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons. He missed some time again this year due to injury before ultimately stepping away from the team due to a personal matter in the final month of the season.

It isn't my place to speculate on a personal matter with a player and I hope that he is in a good place, but the NFL is ultimately a business. The recent injuries and absences put the Colts in a very tough place financially when it comes to Smith's contract, and it may ultimately lead to the veteran being cut this offseason.

According to Spotrac, the Colts can save $16 million dollars in cap space by cutting Smith this offseason. If they elect to keep him, they would be on the hook for his full $19 million dollar cap hit in 2025. Smith is a good player when he is on the field, but he simply hasn't played enough in recent years to warrant that type of cap hit.

Smith ultimately is another veteran starter on the offensive line that seems unlikely to be back next season.

Are Bortolini and Goncalves Ready?

Colts center Tanor Bortolini (blue jersey) gets ready for a game to start.
Indianapolis Colts guard Tanor Bortolini (60) warms up before an Indianapolis Colts game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If the Colts let Kelly walk and cut Smith this offseason, that leaves two massive holes on the offensive line. Luckily the Colts are somewhat prepared for this after spending draft picks on Goncalves and Bortolini in the 2024 draft. The goal was to have these two players take over as starters eventually, but are they ready for the spotlight in 2025?

Goncalves had an up-and-down rookie season for the Colts, but he seemed to steady the ship a bit down the stretch. He settled into the right tackle job nicely in Smith's absence and became a reliable run blocker on the right side of the line. His pass blocking is still a work in progress, but he showcased some flashes in his playing time last year.

As for Bortolini, he put together a strong showing in his relatively light work as a rookie. He allowed zero sacks in 211 pass-blocking snaps and looked every bit the part when he was on the field. There were some rough patches here and there, but overall, it was a strong season for the rookie.

The Colts invested draft picks in these two players, they were solid as rookies and offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr. loves them. These three factors should lead to them having the inside track to start next season, but the Colts would be wise to at least continue to add to the room. The Colts were once optimistic about Matt Pryor and Danny Pinter as starters as well and we all remember how that turned out.

The Colts could pursue starting caliber veterans to push the young duo in camp (such as Robert Hainsey or Morgan Moses) or settle for depth players to provide a smaller push (like Dan Feeney or Cornelius Lucas). Either way, the Colts would be wise to continue adding veterans on the offensive line to stabilize the depth behind these two young players.

The Bottom Line

Overall, the Colts' offensive line is in a state of flux this offseason. They could run it back, but the more likely option is to let go of Kelly and Smith. Things could get especially dicey if they let Fries walk, but we have to have confidence that the Colts aren't that insane heading into the offseason.

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Zach Hicks
ZACH HICKS

Zach Hicks is the Lead Analyst for HorseshoeHuddle.com. Zach has been on the NFL beat since 2017. His works have appeared on SBNation.com, the Locked On Podcast Network, BleacherReport.com, MSN.com, & Yardbarker.com. 

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