Veteran OL unretiring to sign with Colts

Jared Veldheer is set to unretire and re-enter the NFL after a lengthy absence. The veteran tackle has agreed to a deal with the Colts, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

The 36-year-old’s most recent game action came with the Colts. He made one appearance in the regular season for Indianapolis in 2020. He also started one contest for them in the playoffs before joining the Packers later in that same postseason. After nearly making NFL history by starting playoffs games for different teams in the same year, Veldheer is now in position to make a return to the NFL.

The former third-rounder worked out for the Colts last week, as noted by ESPN’s Field Yates. That visit has quickly produced an agreement. Pelissero notes this is a practice squad deal, which has become commonplace for in-season veteran additions around the NFL. Veldheer will be eligible to join the Colts as a gameday elevation up to three times if he is deemed capable of providing at least depth along the offensive line down the stretch.

The veteran has 114 starts to his name, most of which have come at left tackle. Veldheer logged over 1,000 snaps on the blindside four time in his career, including two seasons each with the Raiders and Cardinals. He consistently drew strong PFF evaluations across his first seven campaigns in the league, but in his final season with Arizona, he split his time between left and right tackle.

Veldheer spent one season as a full-time RT with the Broncos in 2018. He played sparingly after that, however, although he still managed to impress from a pass blocking standpoint in terms of PFF evaluation at times. The Hillsdale alum – who was hit with a six-game suspension in 2021 – could offer flexibility at either tackle spot in the event he were to see game time with a Colts team seeking to make a postseason push as one of six AFC teams sitting at 7-6 on the year.

Indianapolis has 2022 third-rounder Bernhard Raimann in place as a starter on the blindside. The Central Michigan alum has taken a step forward with a PFF grade of 79.5 this season in 11 games played. Right tackle Braden Smith, however, missed yesterday’s loss to the Bengals after suiting up for the the Colts’ Week 13 game. In the event Smith were unable to play in Indianapolis’ next contest, Veldheer could step in as a spot-starter or at least be elevated to serve as a backup.