Colts: Could Chris Reed’s increased playing time be writing on wall for Mark Glowinski?
By Jerry Trotta
The Indianapolis Colts‘ offensive line could look a lot different next season.
That’s pretty much the standard for most NFL teams. It’s impossible to keep the same starting five several years running, though everyone once looked to the Colts as the potential breaker of that trend.
After all, Indy trotted out the same starting OL — Anthony Castonzo, Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Mark Glowinski and Braden Smith — for nearly a two-year stretch (21 straight games) from October 2018 to October 2020.
It was the longest streak in the NFL, but those days are long over.
Looking beyond the current season, it’s reasonable to assume the Colts move on from Eric Fisher, who’s been a huge liability at left tackle.
It’s also possible Indy parts ways with Mark Glowinski. After all, the four-year starter is set to split reps with Chris Reed on Sunday vs Tennessee.
Colts will wait until later in the week to name a starter at right guard. Either way, Mark Glowinski and Chris Reed will split reps. This is a pretty telling indication of how well Reed has played — Colts are looking for ways to keep him on the field.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) October 27, 2021
The Colts splitting reps between Mark Glowinski and Chris Reed at right guard speaks volumes.
Are we witnessing a literal changing of the (right) guard? We like to think so, as Glowinski is an impending free agent and there’s been no evidence to suggest the Colts are interested in re-signing him this offseason. If that was the case, he likely would’ve signed a a team-friendly extension already.
Through seven games, Glowinski owns a 56.3 blocking grade for the season, per Pro Football Focus. That ranks 55th (!) amongst guards. We know PFF isn’t the be-all end-all grading scale for players, but that’s a terrible look for Glowinski. In fact, entering Week 7, he allowed the third-most QB hits of any lineman in the league.
Reed, on the other hand, is hands down the Colts’ best free agent signing. It’s crazy to think he spent the majority of the 2020 season on the practice squad. He filled in for the injured Quenton Nelson without a hitch and Indianapolis is smart to keep him involved with the All-Pro guard back in the mix.
Take a look at this double block Reed dished out against San Francisco. He helped out Matt Pryor at right tackle to seal the edge, then burst upfield to take Fred Warner, an All-Pro linebacker, out of the play. Jonathan Taylor wasted no time exploiting the hole and picked up a nice gain. First down Colts.
Outstanding double block by Chris Reed on JT run. This is a reason he’s staying in the mix after Q’s return to LG. pic.twitter.com/ZXSJGT8j44
— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) October 27, 2021
At this point, Reed is more than a quality backup. He deserves a chance to start on one of the league’s best offensive lines.
Let’s put it like this. Reed has played 138 pass-blocking snaps this season. He’s allowed zero sacks, three QB hits, eight pressures, five hurries, and zero penalties, per Pro Football Focus.
Glowinski, meanwhile, has played 239 pass-blocking snaps this campaign. He’s allowed one sack, seven QB hits, 20 pressures, 12 hurries, and zero penalties, per PFF. See what we’re saying?
There’s plenty of season left for Glowinski to change the narrative, but the writing is on the wall. If Reed continues to outplay the former fourth-rounder, there’s no reason to think he’ll eventually supplant him as the starting RG and that could foreshadow how Indy plans to address this conundrum in the offseason.
