The second-year offensive lineman has officially been deemed the starter for the 2025-26 season.
After months of speculation and presumption, Indianapolis Colts offensive line Coach Tony Sparano Jr. revealed to local media earlier today that the plan is for second-year tackle Matt Goncalves to slide into right guard and start in place of Will Fries for at least the 2025-26 season.
As alluded to, this had been the presumed plan in place since free agency passed, and especially following the NFL Draft which resulted in no draft picks allotted toward an interior o-line spot.
This plan had slowly but surely surfaced throughout the off-season, but until now, said plan was nothing more than a projection based on analysis. When you couple the moves in free agency and the draft, or lack thereof, the picture starts to form. After seeing how high the Colts’ executives, coaching staff, and player personnel members are on Goncalves, the picture’s quality enhances.
While the questionable non-moves to add an interior offensive lineman were indeed head-scratching, accepting the notion that this was always the plan paints a different light on how free agency and the draft were handled.
There haven’t been too many people who’ve had a problem with the succession plan of Tanor Bortolini taking over for longtime Colt Ryan Kelly at center, but when it came to sliding Matt Goncalves into right guard as the presumed starter, questions were raised. Perhaps a bit of concern followed due to Goncalves’ move inside, but questions of conviction were certainly had.
Not only that, but Braden Smith’s health becoming a concern in recent years invited concern for who’d relieve him if he were to go down with injury. The addition of tackle Jalen Travis in this year’s draft allows for some leeway in that regard, as well as Blake Freeland’s efforts waiting on the side providing some help, though the depth across the line after that becomes questionable.
Regardless of how fans and media look at the Colts’ projected offensive line for the 2025-26 season, Tony Sparano Jr. has earned himself a bit of grace when it comes to righting the ship across the front. Since becoming the team’s OL Coach in 2023, the Colts have rebounded mightily on the offensive line, developing two potential Pro Bowl/All-Pro candidates for years to come (tackle Bernhard Raimann and guard Will Fries).
Colts general manager Chris Ballard provided a sneak peek at how high the team is on Goncalves following day two of the NFL Draft, saying, “We like [Matt] Goncalves and he ended up playing pretty good football for us. We think he has a really bright future, whether it’s at tackle or guard we’ll see. We’ll have a good OL when we start the season.”
At the time it felt more like reassurance, but now it reads as if this was the plan the entire time. Perhaps it was the backup that became the plan after ‘striking out’ in free agency and the draft, but the team’s overall conviction suggests otherwise.
Earlier today, Tony Sparano Jr. went a bit deeper into why there’s so much belief in Matt Goncalves going into year two despite being a first-year start while also sliding in to a position he has yet to play in the NFL:
“There’s two things. One, when you’re evaluating playeres coming out of college, you have to look at the full skill set because for example Will [Fries] was a tackle at Penn State. It’s not always like for like in terms of we draft this player and he’ll play the same position. Someetimes you’re speculating about moving a guy to the other side and there’s a lot more to that than meets the eye.”
After briefly explaining some of the process that goes into scouting a college player for the next level, Sparano Jr. would share exactly why they felt then and still do feel that Goncalves can make the transition.
“He’s a big man. He’s got power, he’s got length, and he’s really deceptively light on his feet for his size. He’s quick and can get out in space,” said Sparano Jr. “You saw some of the stuff he did in the run game in space last year. That about his skill set excited me, plus he’s a really tough, physical player. Which, for our guards, that is non-negotiable. They’ve gotta be that way and he is that way.”
As Sparano Jr. explained, there’s more to this conclusion than college scouting and evaluation. He would go on to share what about Goncalves’ rookie season validated their previous belief in him as a potential NFL starter:
“The second thing I’ll say is we repped him a bunch in practice last year throughout the season. Everyone saw him play the one play in the Miami game, but there;s a lot that goes into that one play. He was ready during that stretch to be the next man full time at four different spots. So he was taking a ton of guard reps at both sides, taking tackle reps. I watched him throughout the year get better and better and more comfortable. Also, I just know the person. I know the worker and exactly how he’s going to apply himself to do that. I couldn’t have more belief and confidence in that dude that I do.”
There’s a long way to go before Week 1 of the upcoming NFL Season, but for now, the Colts have their starting offensive line set in stone. The projected starting line will feature two first-time starters next to each other across the interior, though the veteran presence and leadership from longtime successful offensive linemen Quenton Nelson and Braden Smith, as well as the tutelage via OL Coach Tony Sparano Jr., should be enough to keep the offense from sinking.
