As the offseason begins, so do the weeks of wondering whether certain players will call it quits for their career. Indianapolis Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo fits that bill, which makes him a player to watch this offseason.
Castonzo has one more year left on his current deal and seeing as there’s no guaranteed money for him in 2021, there is a chance he decides to hang up the spikes, especially after undergoing season-ending ankle surgery.
Should that happen, the Colts would need a new left tackle. Bringing in someone new would be the most realistic option, but don’t overlook the possibility of Quenton Nelson moving from left guard to the edge.
“If AC (Anthony Castonzo) chooses to hang it up, I think discussing Quenton (Nelson) as an option out there is certainly a realistic option that – Chris (Ballard) and I have already had that conversation obviously when AC got hurt. It was like, ‘Hey, well let’s take a look at Quenton, maybe that’s a real option,” said head coach Frank Reich on Sunday. “I’ll let Chris go into more of the detail on that when he gets with you guys on Thursday. But yeah, that would certainly be an option but like every other decision, you have to look at all options and consider all factors.”
Nelson played a few snaps at left tackle during a game in which Castonzo left after tweaking his knee. The Notre Dame product is better suited as a guard, mauling interior defenders, but the Colts believe he has the skill set to make the move if necessary.
This would most likely be a last-minute resort situation if the Colts couldn’t find a better option at left tackle, but it isn’t outside the realm of possibilities for Nelson to make the switch.