Quenton Nelson on the Decline says ESPN

Is Indianapolis Colts offensive lineman Quenton Nelson on the decline? ESPN makes the case.

The Indianapolis Colts made Quenton Nelson the highest-paid offensive guard in the NFL earlier this year. Only three offensive linemen in the NFL, all left tackles, make more than Nelson after he signed his extension.

No one questioned whether Nelson should be paid among the game's elite at the time, but Nelson and the offensive line as a unit have struggled in 2022. 

His 68.6 grade from Pro Football Focus is well below the 91.2 and 86.2 he graded in 2019 and 2020 respectively but on par with the 69.1 he got last season.

ESPN listed five-declining players that have flown under the radar this season, and Quenton Nelson made the list. 

In 2021, Nelson dealt with various injuries, and his performance dropped off a little. He was 12th and 13th in PBWR and RBWR, respectively -- still impressive considering his injury issue. 

This year has been a step back, though. Nelson has dropped to 36th and 17th in pass block and run block win rate, respectively. In other words, he has been an average pass blocker.

In watching his plays, Nelson did get tagged with a few cheap losses that brought his numbers down a bit, but he hasn't been playing at his normal standard. Seth Walder, ESPN Analytics

The offensive line is only as strong as its weakest link. While Nelson is far from its weakest link, the shuffling of players around him including left tackle have had a negative effect on his play.

As rookie Bernhard Raimann gets gets settled at left tackle, there should be a bounce back season from Nelson in 2023.

At $20 million per season, the Colts are counting on it.