Colts Harbor One of NFL's Most Underrated Offensive Linemen

Just this week, the Indianapolis Colts were finally able to put the contract chatter surrounding left tackle Bernhard Raimann to rest, as the two sides were able to hash out an agreement on a four-year, $100 million extension to keep him in the fold for four more seasons after a strong three-season sample size.

And the new deal comes for good reason too– not only due to Raimann's importance on this Colts' offensive line and the success of it, but also due to his status as perhaps one of the league's most underrated players at his respective position.

Pro Football Focus analyst Zoltan Buday recently stacked up five of the NFL's most underrated offensive linemen heading into the 2025 season, where Raimann was right in the mix, being touted as one of the best left tackles in football since entering the league.

"Raimann was born in Austria and played college football at Central Michigan before the Colts selected him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft," Buday wrote, "He has yet to make a Pro Bowl or earn an All-Pro nod. However, he has been one of the best left tackles in football since entering the league, especially over the past two seasons."

"Across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Raimann has earned an 88.0 PFF overall grade, which ranks fourth among 28 qualifying left tackles, behind only Jordan Mailata, Trent Williams and Terron Armstead," Buday continued, "In 2024, Raimann ranked in the top 12 among all offensive tackles in both PFF pass-blocking grade (82.0) and PFF run-blocking grade (80.7). Indianapolis just rewarded Raimann's consistency by agreeing with him on a four-year, $100 million extension. Now it's time the public recognizes it, as well."

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Nov 5, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann (79) during the first quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Having such a steady and reliable left tackle is a huge asset for any NFL team, but especially so for this Colts offensive line when considering what this group has in store at the quarterback position. He also emerges as a solid timeline fit for now and the years ahead, only heading into his age-28 season for 2025.

For a team that doesn't yet have an answer at QB1 between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones for Week One, regardless, they'll have a surefire top ten player in the NFL on the left side (or even higher) holding down the fort for whoever ends up getting that starting nod, providing an extra layer of confidence for who inevitably ends up commanding this passing offense.

And for a star running back like Jonathan Taylor ready for another high workload this season as well, Raimann's services will be even more valued for the year ahead.

Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann (79) walks onto the field during the first day of the Indianapolis Colts’ training camp Thursday, July 25, 2024, at Grand Park Sports Complex in Westfield. | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

After some back and forth and a bit of contract commotion heading into camp, all of that's been silenced, the Colts have their star left tackle on board for the foreseeable future amid his newest four-year extension, and should be a key component of this Indianapolis offense for years to come.

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