Stampede Blue
The second-year offensive lineman has officially been deemed the starter for the 2025-26 season.
After months of speculation and presumption, Indianapolis Colts offensive line Coach Tony Sparano Jr. revealed to local media earlier today that the plan is for second-year tackle Matt Goncalves to slide into right guard and start in place of Will Fries for at least the 2025-26 season.
As alluded to, this had been the presumed plan in place since free agency passed, and especially following the NFL Draft which resulted in no draft picks allotted toward an interior o-line spot.
This plan had slowly but surely surfaced throughout the off-season, but until now, said plan was nothing more than a projection based on analysis. When you couple the moves in free agency and the draft, or lack thereof, the picture starts to form. After seeing how high the Colts’ executives, coaching staff, and player personnel members are on Goncalves, the picture’s quality enhances.
While the questionable non-moves to add an interior offensive lineman were indeed head-scratching, accepting the notion that this was always the plan paints a different light on how free agency and the draft were handled.
There haven’t been too many people who’ve had a problem with the succession plan of Tanor Bortolini taking over for longtime Colt Ryan Kelly at center, but when it came to sliding Matt Goncalves into right guard as the presumed starter, questions were raised. Perhaps a bit of concern followed due to Goncalves’ move inside, but questions of conviction were certainly had.
Not only that, but Braden Smith’s health becoming a concern in recent years invited concern for who’d relieve him if he were to go down with injury. The addition of tackle Jalen Travis in this year’s draft allows for some leeway in that regard, as well as Blake Freeland’s efforts waiting on the side providing some help, though the depth across the line after that becomes questionable.
Regardless of how fans and media look at the Colts’ projected offensive line for the 2025-26 season, Tony Sparano Jr. has earned himself a bit of grace when it comes to righting the ship across the front. Since becoming the team’s OL Coach in 2023, the Colts have rebounded mightily on the offensive line, developing two potential Pro Bowl/All-Pro candidates for years to come (tackle Bernhard Raimann and guard Will Fries).
Colts general manager Chris Ballard provided a sneak peek at how high the team is on Goncalves following day two of the NFL Draft, saying, “We like [Matt] Goncalves and he ended up playing pretty good football for us. We think he has a really bright future, whether it’s at tackle or guard we’ll see. We’ll have a good OL when we start the season.”
At the time it felt more like reassurance, but now it reads as if this was the plan the entire time. Perhaps it was the backup that became the plan after ‘striking out’ in free agency and the draft, but the team’s overall...
