Colts: Anthony Castonzo explains why he nearly opted out of 2020
By Adam Weinrib
Colts OL stud Anthony Castonzo nearly skipped the 2020 season, and he’s still nervous.
The Indianapolis Colts offensive line nearly got dinged before the season even began, but ultimately, the pull of participating in this unique campaign was too strong to keep Anthony Castonzo on the sidelines.
Got to say, we like it that way.
Castonzo will be playing a much-ballyhooed 2020 season in Indy, but his participation wasn’t a snap judgment by any means. It took a major internal scope but, when it came right down to it, the big man was simply too excited to play with Philip Rivers to stay home, among other things.
https://twitter.com/Colts/status/1290352642217193473?s=20
"“I mean, I took a hard look at the possibility of opting out,” Castonzo said. “Obviously, you want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. But after seeing all the precautions that are in place and weighing things out, it made sense to go forward with the season and see what happens. We’ve got a good team and it’s an exciting season. So, that’s something I want to be a part of.”"
Castonzo made it clear that, while he plans to take every precaution while the team is at its facility, he’s still keeping tabs on the league’s protocols. If they continue to slip up, he might reevaluate his participation.
All that being said, the powerful lineman — who also briefly flirted with retirement, don’t forget — ultimately opted for continuity. Simply put, the Colts are so much better when the Castonzo-Quenton Nelson-Ryan Kelly-Mark Glowinski-Braden Smith crew is together, which they’ve mostly been since Week 6 of 2018.
The Colts elite offensive line trio of Anthony Castonzo, Quenton Nelson, and Ryan Kelly had a combined 1,815 pass blocking snaps last season.
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) August 1, 2020
They only gave up a combined 4 sacks and 12 QB Hits on the season. Such an elite trio of linemen.
This team’s success will be predicated on keeping Rivers upright and having the big beasts plow the running lanes for their triple-headed backfield of Marlon Mack, Jonathan Taylor, and Nyheim Hines.
For now, Castonzo is as locked in as a skeptical player can be. Let’s hope the league nails the protocols so that we get to watch this roster live out its potential.