Andrew Whitworth Calls Out Colts’ Missed Opportunity to Sign Pro Bowl Tackle

Andrew Whitworth

Getty Super Bowl champion Andrew Whitworth called out the Indianapolis Colts for failing to sign a three-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle this past offseason.

Just about every disappointing season leads to second-guessing. It’s no different for the 2022 Indianapolis Colts.

In fact, the second-guessing is already happening with still 10 weeks remaining in the season.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard elected to re-sign offensive lineman Matt Pryor and not add another veteran tackle in the offseason. Ballard argued that the 27-year-old played well enough in five starts last year that the team felt confident about entering the season with Pryor as the team’s projected starter at left tackle.

With Pryor set to start, the Colts didn’t overspend on a left tackle in free agency, such as three-time Pro Bowler Terron Armstead.

Super Bowl champion and Amazon Prime analyst Andrew Whitworth now says that was a mistake.

“I really think they should’ve been in the Terron Armstead business in the offseason,” Whitworth told The Athletic’s Zak Keefer. “I’m sure they were. And you don’t win out on those moves, that kinda sets you back in how you’ve invested in the draft.”


Were the Colts Interested in Armstead?

Armstead signed a five-year, $75 million contract with the Miami Dolphins in the offseason. That’s the type of contract Ballard has avoided handing out in free agency, so it wasn’t surprising at the time that Indianapolis passed on Armstead.

But Keefer pushed back on Whitworth’s claim that the Colts were “in the” Armstead “business.”

“To my knowledge, the Colts weren’t among the finalists for Armstead,” Keefer wrote. “The Colts gave Pryor a $5.5 million deal in free agency.”

The concerns about handing Armstead $75 million over five years seem valid because Armstead has dealt with injuries throughout his career. Because of elbow and knee injuries, he played only eight games in 2021. Also, Armstead, who turned 31 in July, will be almost 36 when his contract with the Dolphins expires.

But Miami has benefited in the short term by signing him. Pro Football Focus ranks Armstead, who made the Pro Bowl each year from 2018 to 2020, as the NFL’s ninth-best offensive tackle (among tackles with at least 50% of his team’s snaps) through eight weeks. He’s been Miami’s best overall offensive lineman and best pass protector this season.

Indianapolis would have benefited from Armstead’s pass blocking alone. The Colts have allowed 26 sacks this season, which is the second-most in the league.

PFF has Pryor ranked 59th out of 60 offensive tackles with at least 50% of his team’s offensive snaps this year.


Indianapolis’ QB Decision Compounded Left Tackle Problem?

With the benefit of hindsight, planning to start a former sixth-round pick and career backup at left tackle looks like a bad decision. It looks even worse considering the change the Colts also made this offseason at quarterback.

“You went into this season kinda hoping this scenario would work out, and you’re playing with a quarterback who’s not moving. … Matt Ryan’s never been a guy who’s gonna move a lot,” Whitworth said. “At this point in his career, he’s moving none.”

Although he had other faults, former Colts quarterback Carson Wentz is more mobile than Ryan and also more than seven years younger. If Wentz had remained the starter in Indianapolis, then it’s possible he could have masked some of the team’s left tackle deficiencies without a veteran such as Armstead.

Instead, the Colts gambled a bit at left tackle while starting a non-mobile 37-year-old quarterback.

“They started with a group they hoped would last, and they hoped would do the job,” Whitworth said. “And a lot of times when you do that in the NFL, you get the result they got.”

The Colts are obviously dealing with more problems than just left tackle this season, and Pryor shouldn’t take all the blame for the lack of protection on the quarterback’s blindside. Rookie Bernard Raimann and veteran Dennis Kelly have only been marginally better (if that) at left tackle with their opportunities this season.

But the Indianapolis offense would likely be in a much better position right now if they had signed Armstead.

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