Braden Smith placed on reserve list, Mark Glowinski elevated to active roster

The Indianapolis Colts announced yesterday that right tackle Braden Smith has been placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list, officially putting an end to his 2024 season.

Smith was previously ruled out for today's game against the Denver Broncos, though it's not yet clear what is keeping him off the field. Head coach Shane Steichen has said only that it is due to a personal matter, saying, “I won't get into details, but respect his privacy and support him."

Whatever the issue, it is evidently serious; it has allegedly been affecting him for at least a month. It has been rumored that Smith wouldn't play for the rest of the season, but that news has now been made official.

A veteran right tackle, Smith was drafted in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and has spent his entire career with the Colts, having played in 94 total games. Rookie Matt Goncalves is expected to play in Smith's place; Goncalves has previously stepped in when Bernhard Raimann was injured, and this week, he will play opposite veteran guard Mark Glowinski. Goncalves has played well, though it took him a few tries at starter to figure it out. Once he got going, though, he never looked back. He was listed as the 14th best pass blocker among starting offensive tackles over the last three starts by Pro Football Focus, and he has begun to excel at both sides (though he clearly favors the left).

Glowinski has been elevated to the active roster, a must-need for the Colts considering how many injuries have plagued the offensive line as of late. There have been multiple rookies filling in over the past several games; Glowinski previously played with the Colts against the New England Patriots, doing an excellent job blocking and elevating the run game. He originally spent five seasons with the Colts, and then moved on to the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks before returning to Indianapolis.