Colts Retain Towering Force on Offensive Line

The Indianapolis Colts continued their early offseason signings by bringing back offensive tackle Luke Tenuta on Friday morning.

we have re-signed T Luke Tenuta.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) March 20, 2026

Standing tall at 6-foot-8, Tenuta is an intimidating presence on the outside of the offensive line. He was originally signed by the Colts back in 2022, but he was waived after a month and a half. He signed a reserve/future contract with Indy last January and appeared in his first four games for the Colts after Braden Smith was placed on injured reserve toward the end of the year.

Now that Smith is out of the picture, the Colts decided to shore up their O-Line by bringing back Tenuta for another season. With Jalen Travis expected to take the starting snaps at right tackle, Tenuta will primarily function as a depth piece and special teams player.

A former sixth-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2022 NFL draft, Tenuta has appeared in seven games across his career. Tenuta had brief stints with the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals, but it seems he's finally found a home in Indianapolis.

Last season, Tenuta filled in for Bernhard Raimann at left tackle in Indy's Week 15 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, which was Philip Rivers' first game back under center. In 14 pass block snaps, Tenuta allowed one pressure, according to Pro Football Focus.

Luke Tenuta likely won a roster spot yesterday. The injury to Blake Freeland plus a solid showing from him is probably enough to be OL9 on the roster come cutdown day pic.twitter.com/JJTd4CAMNj
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) August 17, 2025

In his extremely small sample size, PFF graded Tenuta as one of the best pass blocking tackles, handing him an 81.3 pass block grade. That being said, Tenuta was in pass protection for Rivers, who was getting the ball out in under three seconds every play to avoid being hit.

Tenuta likely won't play many snaps, but injuries are unavoidable across a 17-game season. If Raimann or Travis go down at any point, Tenuta will be the man to step up.

The Colts could also address their lack of offensive line depth in this year's draft. Colts general manager Chris Ballard has done well to find young offensive line talent throughout his tenure. Every starter on the Colts' offensive line was drafted by Ballard.

Tenuta wasn't a Ballard pick, but he clearly believes that his massive frame will make him a suitable rotational player for the 2026 season. If anything, it's another signing that ensures some sort of continuity.

The Colts' offense runs through Jonathan Taylor, so having a decent offensive line is the most important thing for Shane Steichen. Tenuta is a capable player, but if he's starting at any point, things could get shaky.

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