The Indianapolis Colts have made a flurry of changes over the past 48 hours of free agency, with some signings making a bigger splash than others. Notably, the Colts signed Cam Bynum and Charvarius Ward to bolster the defense, and Daniel Jones to compete with Anthony Richardson for the QB1 spot.
Several free agents on the Colts roster were also released, with veteran center Ryan Kelly and offensive guard Will Fries both signing with the Minnesota Vikings. With Kelly specifically, that left the question of who will step up in his place at center. The two possible replacements are rookie Tanor Bortolini, and veteran Danny Pinter - and Pinter has just been re-signed, according to Aaron Wilson, who broke the news late last night.
"#Colts Danny Pinter deal: $1.667M, $750K gtd, $167,500 signing bonus, salary $1.5M ($582,500 fully guaranteed)"Aaron Wilson
Pinter was drafted in 2019 and has spent his entire career with the Colts. He has only made nine starts in his career, when Kelly has been injured. And for now, it's assumed that Pinter will continue to serve as a means to provide depth at center, with Bortolini the starter.
It had long been assumed that Kelly would be leaving Indianapolis, which meant that the Colts would need to keep Pinter on their roster. He can continue serving as a reliable back-up to Bortolini, and give experience and guidance to younger players on the offensive line - both to Bortolini and others. He also can give depth, if needed, to the right guard position, filling in there as well if necessary.
Pinter is not a superstar, but he is still a decently-graded center, and the contract the Colts gave him seems fair for what he brings to the table. The Colts will now need to address other holes in their offensive line, particularly at right guard, given the loss of Will Fries, who was described as one of the best right guards in the NFL. Indianapolis, at the beginning of the 2024 season, had one of the most elite offensive line units in the league, but it remains to be seen if that will apply again in 2025.