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As Shane Steichen prepares for his first season as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, he knows the offensive line must perform better than they did in 2022. That starts with the star in the room, left guard Quenton Nelson.
The three-time All-Pro wasn’t quite himself during the 2022 campaign. The entire offensive line took a step back, allowing the second-most sacks in the NFL. Nelson’s game took a step back as well, though there are questions as to whether an injury played a factor.
In an exclusive interview with The 33rd Team, Steichen had plenty of praise for Nelson, even comparing his mentality to one of the most established and respected offensive linemen in today’s game.
“I was very fortunate to be around Jason Kelce for two years. He’s one of the smartest players I’ve been around, especially up front. And he played with so much passion and energy on a daily basis,” Steichen said. “I’m excited to work with Nelson. He’s just a huge, powerful man who can take defenders downfield. The first time I’ll get to see him in pads live will be in training camp. But to see his mentality in the spring, being around him and how he goes about his business is very similar to [Kelce’s] approach to the game.”
The Colts need the offensive line to bounce back in the worst way. Having a mobile quarterback in the form of rookie Anthony Richardson should help the cause in avoiding sacks, but the offensive line also needs to make life for him as easy as possible whenever he takes over the starting role.
Bringing in Tony Sparano Jr. as the new offensive line coach also could provide a bit of an energy spike.
Nelson isn’t the only offensive lineman on the Colts roster looking to bounce back. Both center Ryan Kelly and Braden Smith are coming off down years, though the latter looked more like himself during the second half of the season.
Nelson will be the face of the offensive line for another season and if there are any hopes of the unit returning to form, it starts with him.
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