Colts: What Joey Hunt signing means for offensive line

The Colts have signed former Seahawks center Joey Hunt on Sunday.

The Indianapolis Colts already have the best offensive line in football, so when they add any reinforcements, you know it’s probably the real deal.

On Saturday, Indy signed former Seattle Seahawks center Joey Hunt, who will provide some serious depth along the O-line behind star Ryan Kelly. Hunt, a former sixth-round pick back in 2016, has appeared in 34 games (11 starts) since that season, though he didn’t log a single snap in 2017 after he was demoted to the practice squad.

But he’s made a significant rebound, appearing in 25 games since the start of 2018 and playing through some serious injuries last year. He revealed after the season that he battled through a stress fracture in his fibula from Week 9 on as well as a dislocated finger in the postseason.

Seahawks starting center Justin Britt went down with a torn ACL in 2019, which paved the way for Hunt getting the most playing time of his career. He appeared in 55% of the snaps in 14 games (eight starts), committed just two penalties, and started both postseason games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers.

So what does this move do? Well it just bolsters the Colts offensive line even more. Kelly is the unquestioned starter, but (on top of injuries) we’re entering a season with a lot of uncertainty surrounding COVID-19.

As of right now, Indy only has 2019 seventh-round pick Javon Patterson behind Kelly on the depth chart, and one would assume the Colts don’t want to be put in a position to have to start a guy who missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL. The Ole Miss product likely has a lot of learning to do before being thrust into that role.

Hunt providing stability in the event of a wild turn of affairs has to be comforting for a Colts offense that will endure a number of changes this year. While the offensive line will remain constant, the team will have a new starting QB in Philip Rivers on top of introducing rookies and expect key pieces in Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr.

This is another shrewd move by general manager Chris Ballard. Let’s see what else he’s got up his sleeve.

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