Colts are shaking up starting lineup due to injuries piling up ahead of their Week 16 matchup against 49ers
The Colts are making an unexpected change to their starting lineup to try and combat the recent injuries that have piled up on their offensive line.
The Indianapolis Colts have had injuries derail what looked like a promising season. Everyone knows the team lost QB Daniel Jones to a torn right Achilles tendon, but they will also be without both their starting tackles in Week 16 vs. the San Francisco 49ers. They already knew they’d be without RT Braden Smith for the rest of the regular season after placing him on the IR, but they also downgraded LT Bernhard Raimann to out due to an elbow injury he suffered in Week 15.
As a result, sources have confirmed to A to Z Sports that the Colts are moving starting RG Matt Goncalves to tackle for tonight’s game against the 49ers.
Colts are moving starting RG Matt Goncalves to tackle after ruling LT Bernhard Raimann out for Week 16
The Colts drafted Goncalves in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He spent his rookie season as a rotational player and filled in at multiple spots on the line. This led the team to believe he could successfully transition from tackle to guard in 2025 as a full-time starter.
He has appeared and started in 13 of the team’s 14 games this season, and all of his offensive snaps have come at RG. That will change tonight as he is slated to move back to tackle, where he played in college and took snaps at during his rookie year. This move was hinted at a bit by the Colts, as they chose to elevate guard Josh Sills from the practice squad, as opposed to a tackle.
The team will have Jalen Travis and Goncalves at tackle tonight, which means Dalton Tucker or Josh Sills will start at RG. There is no word on whether this move is permanent or only for Week 16. My assumption is that once Raimann returns, we will see Goncalves move back to RG, with Travis starting opposite Raimann at tackle.
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