The Colts have plenty of questions to answer about their 2025 offensive line in the coming weeks. There is one question we already know the answer of, though:
Building a strong offensive line will be a top-line emphasis for the Colts this season, as it has been every year under general manager Chris Ballard.
"It's a position that we don't ever want to go light on," Ballard said.
Two starters on the Colts' offensive line are set to become unrestricted free agents in mid-March. There's center Ryan Kelly, the longest-tenured member of the Colts and a four-time Pro Bowler. And there's also Will Fries, the mauler of a guard who was one of the best players at his position in 2024 before a significant leg injury ended his season in Week 5.
In addition to those two players, Ballard said the Colts will "work through" things with right tackle Braden Smith, whose season ended in December when he was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list. Left tackle Bernhard Raimann is also eligible for a contract extension for the first time in his now three-year career, as the 2022 third-round pick is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2025.
"You have to be good up front," Ballard said. "It's hard when you can't block people. And over the length of a season, it shows — when you have weakness, it shows up."
Ballard will meet with representatives for Kelly and Fries this week at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and the first step in building this year's Colts' offensive line will be decisions on the future of both players.
The Colts, though, do have two players they drafted in 2024 they believe can step in at multiple positions on the offensive line in third-round pick Matt Goncalves and fourth-round pick Tanor Bortolini. Goncalves primarily played tackle but could have the flexibility to play guard; Bortolini primarily played center but also has the flexibility to play guard.
"We think Bortolini has a bright future and he showed even some flashes at guard," Ballard said. "And then we think Goncalves has a really bright future. He did some really good things."
| Player | PFF pass block grade | Rank among rookies | PFF run block grade | Rank among rookies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Goncalves | 57.1 | 16th (9th among tackles) | 69.3 | 6th (3rd among tackles) |
| Tanor Bortolini | 64.6 | 7th (2nd among centers) | 65.4 | 9th (3rd among centers) |
Undrafted rookie Dalton Tucker also played 464 snaps for the Colts in 2024, though he was ultimately replaced in the starting lineup by veteran Mark Glowinski in Week 13. Glowinski, along with veteran Danny Pinter – who started two late-season games at center in place of Kelly – are both set to become unrestricted free agents in March as well.
So the Colts will have to figure out solutions not just for their starting five offensive linemen, but for their depth as well. That depth will inevitably get tested during the season – it did in 2024 with every starter except left guard Quenton Nelson missing multiple games due – but teams that best handle dipping into their reserves up front often are set up for success.
"It's a position we have to make sure we've got five — really, six, seven and eight guys that can play," Ballard said.
