[
www.msn.com] Colts will be without All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson; 3 offensive line starters now out
Nate Atkins, Indianapolis Star - 6m ago
The Colts have a COVID-19 scare on their hands, and now it's knocked out one of their best players.
The Colts have placed All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, meaning he is out for Saturday night's primetime Christmas game against the Arizona Cardinals.
If Nelson is still unvaccinated, he will miss 10 days, which will knock him out for next week's home game against the Las Vegas Raiders as well.
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Nelson is the third Colts starting offensive lineman set to miss Saturday’s game. Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly is still out while dealing with the loss of his infant daughter, and right guard Mark Glowinski also went to the Reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday.
That means, unless Glowinski tests out, the Colts will be without their full interior that has helped Jonathan Taylor rush for an NFL-best 1,518 yards this season.
Danny Pinter will start at center for a third straight game, and Chris Reed will step in at right guard, a position he's traded off and on at all season long.
More: Colts are giving Ryan Kelly all the time he needs before returning to football
More: The Colts will likely be down multiple O-Line starters against the Cardinals
Indianapolis Colts All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson is going to miss Saturday's primetime game against the Arizona Cardinals.
© Max Gersh/IndyStar
Indianapolis Colts All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson is going to miss Saturday's primetime game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Matt Pryor, normally the team's swing tackle, will likely step in at left guard, where he started 10 games last season for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Nelson is by far the biggest loss of the three. He was just named to his fourth straight Pro Bowl, and he has a good chance of reaching his fourth straight first-team All-Pro list as well. His presence has helped Pinter slide in admirably as Kelly has been out.
As always, Colts coach Frank Reich expressed faith in his players.
"Chris (Ballard) and I were just talking about this this morning: We talked about making a point to get depth, I mean real depth at the offensive line," Reich said Wednesday. "And I really think that's what we have. There will be no change in the game plan."
The Colts are one of many NFL teams dealing with the effects of COVID-19 spread. Cornerback Rock Ya-Sin is set to miss after going on the list this week, and defensive end Kemoko Turay is also on the list.
Contact Nate Atkins at
natkins@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @NateAtkins_.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts will be without All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson; 3 offensive line starters now out
