Frank Reich Confirms Starter at Left Tackle

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich confirms the team has made a decision on the starting left tackle.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich confirmed on Sunday that Matt Pryor has won right to replace the departed Eric Fisher at left tackle. 

“No, I think Matt’s done a good job and I think he’s given us a lot of confidence in him going into this week and into the season," said Reich via teleconference.

"I think that’s our mindset right now. Obviously, we’ve got to get through this last game healthy and since the first guys are going to play a good bit in this game, I think we’ll put the final stamp on things after we get through this game."

"I feel like Matt has deserved and earned the spot that he’s in right now as the No. 1 left tackle. He’s done a good job. I thought it was great for him to get a little bit of extra work this week and given that he was newer to the lineup than everybody else. I like the progress that he’s making, and I feel good about the opportunity for him going forward."

Fisher started 15 games for the Colts last season and remains a free agent. 

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Pryor was a key reserve for the Colts last season; he saw action at right tackle, guard and left tackle across 17 games last year with five starts.

With the left tackle position sewn up, how does Reich feel about the reserve spots heading into the final preseason game?

"I’m not concerned," replied Reich when asked about quality depth on the offensive line. "It’s such an important position and I’ve been in years where you needed everybody on that offensive line, they were going to play some, they were going to start a game at some point."

"I’ve certainly experienced that and understand when we look at the next three, four, five guys behind them, we want to know that they can play winning football. So, I think we continue to look at (Bernhard) Raimann, (Will) Fries, (Wesley) French and (Jordan) Murray and those guys."

"Then Dennis Kelly, with him coming off the injury that he’s coming off of. He’s played a lot of winning football, and I just feel like we’re going to have the depth that we need behind our starting five."

The offensive line and running game should be the strength of the Colts offense this year. Seeing Matt Pryor lock down a spot at left tackle should alleviate any worries the Colts had in replacing Fisher for the 2023 season.