A.Q. Shipley: 2014 was ‘Trying’ with the Colts

In 2014, the Indianapolis Colts headed into the preseason with two young, but promising centers. The team has been struggling to find a long term option at center (among other offensive line positions) but they had high hopes for the two players on the roster.

Then, just a few snaps into the preseason, second-year player Khaled Holmes would suffer a high ankle sprain. Undrafted rookie Jonotthan Harrison took over and struggled before also being injured in the preseason.

The Colts turned to a player they’d traded away over a year before: A.Q. Shipley.

Sep 28, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts center A.Q. Shipley (63) against the Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Shipley had recently been cut by the Ravens and the Colts signed him immediately. He was signed on August 31 and started the Week 1 opener on September 7.

Shipley started at center for the first four weeks of the season and was then shockingly benched, despite playing very well during those starts. In fact, Pro Football Focus had him with third highest grade at center through Week 4. He had a +5.2 grade in those games.

He wasn’t offered a new deal by the Colts and ended up in Arizona with the Cardinals after free agency. In an interview with ESPN, Shipley spoke about just how difficult last season was for him.

"“Last year was trying for me,” Shipley said outside the Arizona Cardinals’ practice facility. “I mean, it really was.”“It was hard to keep my mouth shut,” Shipley said. “That’s the biggest thing. I knew at the end of the day I didn’t want to be a cancer. I did not want to be a cancer to the team. We had a great team. We had a great season going, so I didn’t want to be that.“I just kinda had to go to work. I got a pretty fun personality. I couldn’t. I just … I was there. I went to work. I did what I had to do. I did my football stuff. I did my stuff and I went home. But I couldn’t be 100 percent me because it was so hard.”"

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Shipley was never given an official reason as to why he was benched. There were rumors that the word came down from GM Ryan Grigson and that there may have been a egotistical component to the move. Regardless, Shipley was benched and the Colts bounced between Holmes and Harrison for the season with neither playing well enough to really be considered the true starter.

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians is giving Shipley a shot at being the starter this coming season, something he clearly wasn’t given in Indy. Arians, the Colts former interim head coach and offensive coordinator, also signed defensive end Cory Redding after the team let him walk in the offseason.

The Colts still don’t have a clear option at center heading into 2015. Holmes and Harrison are still splitting reps with the first team offense. The Colts are loaded with talent on offense, but if the line can’t hold up it could be another fruitless season.