With Ryan Kelly healthy and available for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Tians, will the Indianapolis Colts move rookie Tanor Bortolini to right guard with Will Fries out?
Kelly had missed the previous two games with a neck injury. In his place at center was Bortolini, who fared very well.
In 86 pass-blocking snaps during that two-game span, Pro Football Focus credited Bortolini with surrendering only one pressure and no sacks. By run-blocking grade, he ranked 13th out of the 32 eligible centers.
With Fries being placed on injured reserve earlier in the week, the right guard spot now has to be filled.
Bortolini came to the NFL as a versatile player–one of the aspects of his game that drew the Colts to him during the pre-draft process. With college experience at guard and center, the Colts do see him as someone who can play all three interior positions.
With Kelly in the final year of his contract and potentially playing elsewhere in 2025, Bortolini very well is viewed as the Colts’ long-term answer at the center position.
Moving Bortolini to right guard would continue to get the rookie value in-game reps. After all, there is no teacher like experience–even if at a different position.
Another option that the Colts have is starting fellow rookie Dalton Tucker at right guard. In last week’s game in Jacksonville when Fries exited the game, it was Tucker who took over at right guard.
When head coach Shane Steichen was asked earlier in the week what he was planning to do at right guard, as expected, he wasn’t going to give that answer away.