The Colts added yet another name to their extensive list of injured players after right guard Will Fries suffered a scary leg injury in Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars, the team announced Monday.
Fries required an air cast and a golf cart to make it off the field. He remained in Jacksonville overnight, where he had surgery on his right tibia. It was graphic enough that CBS’s broadcast decided to not show the replay.
The entire Indianapolis sideline emptied out onto the turf at EverBank Stadium to send him off, a testament to the impact he’s had on the locker room.
“He’s come such a far way since he got here, all by hard work, determination and consistency,” said left guard Quenton Nelson, noting that Fries’ style of play will be heavily missed up front. “It won’t be the same without him.”
Fries was a seventh round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and was thrown into the mix in 2022, starting nine games. In 2023, he took on full starting responsibilities for all 17 games, earning the job for 2024 outright. He was starting to come into his own as a young breakout star in the first five games of 2024. Per Pro Football Focus, he was the second-highest graded guard in the NFL (86.9; minimum 100 snaps), fifth in run block grade (84.9), and ninth in pass block grade 75.1).
Now, he’ll have to watch from the sidelines.
And if this blow wasn’t inconvenient enough, Fries becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. General manager Chris Ballard has not been afraid of retaining his own players, even when they’re coming off a major injury, but still faces a crucial decision.
If there’s any silver lining, it’s that Ballard prepared for this. He selected a total of 10 offensive linemen for the roster, leaving no shortage of choice when it comes to a replacement.
Following Fries’ exit, undrafted rookie Dalton Tucker slid in at right guard. Danny Pinter, who has guard/center flexibility, has seven NFL starts under his belt, three coming at right guard.
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