The Indianapolis Colts announced that they are elevating two offensive linemen from the practice squad, Atonio Mafi and Josh Sills, ahead of their Week 11 game against the New York Jets.
Each week, every NFL team can elevate up to two players from the practice squad to the active roster for the upcoming game. Each practice squad player can be elevated up to three times over the course of the season. This will be Treadwell’s first elevation.
In addition to these moves, the Colts also signed linebacker Liam Anderson from the practice squad to the 53-man roster and released defensive tackle Adam Gotsis as the corresponding move.
The Colts will enter Sunday’s game versus the Jets thin at the offensive line position, hence the pair of elevations.
Left tackle Bernhard Raimann has already been ruled out with a knee injury. Center Ryan Kelly was placed on injured reserve prior to the Buffalo game and his spot on the 53-man was replaced by a safety, and then on Saturday, right tackle Braden Smith was downgraded to questionable for the upcoming game.
Mafi was signed to the practice squad after roster cutdowns before the regular season began. He was a fifth-round pick by New England in 2023 out of UCLA. Mafi had a big role as a rookie, playing 458 snaps over 12 games, and mostly at left guard, allowing 32 pressures and five sacks.
Sills was with the Colts through offseason programs and the start of training camp. He would leave the second preseason game with an ankle injury and was later waived-injured.
Sills was then signed to the practice squad in late-October. He would also spend the 2023 season with the Colts after being released by Philadelphia. He appeared in seven games on offense for Indianapolis that season, playing 36 snaps, most of which game at right guard.
While these two elevation bolster the overall offensive line depth, if Smith can’t go, the Colts will be very thin at tackle, specifically. Matt Goncalves will play left tackle for Raimann, and if without Smith, Blake Freeland will be at right tackle.
Hopefully it doesn’t get to this point, but of note given the potential injury situation at tackle, Dalton Tucker did play 254 right tackle snaps during his final season at Marshall.