The Indianapolis Colts haven’t made the playoffs in four seasons. Even with many experts believing the Colts had a good draft and made some nice free agency signings, they still have question marks at key positions, namely quarterback.

Given the anticipated showdown for the starting quarterback role between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, the Colts will require support from their teammates at various positions, since both players have significant uncertainties surrounding them.

Primarily, the Colts’ offensive line must ensure they shield whichever player steps up as their quarterback, beginning with solidifying protection for them at the left tackle position. Bernhard Raimann, selected in the third round back in 2022, has accumulated over ten starts across his initial three years. As he approaches the conclusion of his rookie deal—which spans four years—Tyler Sullivan from CBS Sports suggests that extending Raimann could be a prudent move for the team.

Indy’s starting left tackle is heading into the last season of his rookie contract, which means they might extend him anytime during this summer,” Sullivan notes. “Over the past two years, Raimann has participated in every one of their 29 games and performed exceptionally well throughout them. In fact, last year, Raimann was rated as the eighth-best offensive tackle across the entire NFL based on Pro Football Focus’ statistics. As long as he keeps up this performance next year, there won’t be any doubt about landing a significant new agreement for him.

Raimann has improved each year and conceded only

20 total pressures

Last year, this was good enough for the 13th-best ranking in the NFL.

Kevin Hickey of the Sporting News doesn’t think Raimann gets the credit he deserves.

One area that has consistently performed well over the past couple of seasons is left tackle, where Bernhard Raimann has emerged as an underappreciated strength.

Hickey writes

.

Left tackle depth chart

Behind Raimann, there isn’t a ton of depth. As of now, ESPN has the

early depth chart

behind him as Blake Freeland on the second string, Luke Tenuta with the third and Marshall Foerner running fourth.

Freeland was a

fourth-round pick in 2023

He clocked a 4.89-second 40-yard dash time at the Combine. Standing at an impressive height of 6’7″, he has seen limited action recently, participating in just nine games over the past two seasons. Tenuta was

sixth-round pick in 2022

And he has mostly moved between NFL teams through their practice squads since then. Foerner is an

undrafted rookie free agent

A player signing from Minnesota State who needs to perform impressively during training camp to secure a spot on the 53-man roster.

Therefore, the Colts will heavily rely on Raimann to create space for their standout running back Jonathan Taylor and ensure the quarterback remains protected.

The Colts need to protect the quarterback

At the very least the Colts have serious concerns surrounding their 2025 quarterback situation. Richardson, the former No. 4-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has not lived up to expectations even though he was thought to be a project when he was drafted.

Lance Zierlein from NFL.com provided this assessment of Richardson as he entered the draft:

“Dual-threat quarterback with an elite physical profile and a lot of work that needs to be done to reach a potentially high ceiling,”

Zierlein wrote

.

As of now, Indianapolis is still awaiting even a moderately high ceiling. Richardson

played in 11 games

And passed for 1,814 yards with eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2024. His completion rate was disappointingly low at 47.7%, and he was taken down 14 times. This level of performance would be unsatisfactory almost anywhere in football, let alone in the NFL. The one glimmer of hope might come from his receiving a solitary fifth-place vote for the league awards.

Recovery Player of the Year Award

What exactly he was returning from remains a mystery.

In 69 starts with the

New York Giants

Since getting selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Jones has had

24-44-1 record

That statistic with such a substantial sample size doesn’t inspire much faith if he’s set to start for the Colts in Week 1.

To sum up, both quarterbacks will require all the support possible. Moreover, if the Colts aim to establish a foundation for years ahead, starting with Raimann could be an excellent choice.


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