The Indianapolis Colts have added some additional depth on the offensive line from an unexpected source. The Colts have signed veteran lineman Jared Veldheer out of retirement for the stretch run of the season, according to Tom Pelissero.
Veldheer, 36, hasn't played since the 2020 NFL season, where he started one game for the Colts. Veldheer, who has primarily played left tackle, started his career with the Raiders where he spent four seasons before moving on to the Arizona Cardinals, where he played another four seasons. Veldheer then spent a year in Denver and a year in Green Bay before playing with the Colts in 2020 for one game.
Colts sign veteran offensive tackle Jared Veldheer
Veldheer was a solid offensive tackle in his prime, registering five seasons with a Pro Football Focus player grade of over 75. Finding a tackle with as much experience as Veldheer and as good of a prime would be incredibly difficult without scouring the unretired ranks, and that's exactly what the Colts did by convincing Veldheer to lace up his cleats again and help the Colts make a push towards the postseason.
While Veldheer undoubtedly has some rust to shake off, his addition at tackle should help a Colts offense that was without starting right tackle Braden Smith in Week 14 due to a knee injury. Smith has been one of the best run blockers in the league this season, but he's only been able to play in 8 games due to injury.
Veldheer could make an impact on Indianapolis's offensive line thanks to his sheer size. At 6-foot-8, 321 pounds, Veldheer is one of the bigger tackles in all of football.
It will be interesting to see how quickly Veldheer gets back on the field after not having played since 2020, but the signing for the Colts could help protect Gardner Minshew from taking any more big hits as he did in Week 14.
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