Quenton Nelson’s grip on elite status hasn’t loosened.
The Indianapolis Colts left guard was ranked No. 2 among interior offensive linemen in ESPN’s annual poll of NFL coaches, executives and scouts, a reminder that even after eight seasons he’s still viewed as one of the league’s toughest assignments. Nelson received votes as high as No. 2 and as low as No. 10.
That standing fits the season he just put together. Nelson allowed only one sack in 2024, the fifth time in his career he’s given up one or fewer.
He also matched career bests with 15 pressures allowed and a 98.7 pass-block efficiency rating, while committing just two penalties, his fewest in a season. The NFL’s Top 100 list recently placed him at No.
Reliability has been Nelson’s calling card for years. He hasn’t missed a game since 2021, and that remains the only season in which he has ever missed a start. He’s been to the Pro Bowl every year of his career, and has earned All-Pro recognition in all but two seasons, including a Second-Team selection last year.
The voters didn’t exactly hand out a blanket endorsement, but they clearly still see a top-tier player. One NFC executive said, “Some drop-off but still elite,” while adding, “[He] was No. 1 for a long time, but the Smiths (Tyler and Trey) and [Quinn] Meinerz are on his heels.”
An AFC executive offered this: “Can anchor, bend, wide. Not as dominant as before but better than he was in 2024.”
Nelson was once the No. 1 player on this same list, and he remains the face of a Colts offensive line that has been one of the league’s better units since Indianapolis took him No. 6 overall in the 2018 draft. The group helped the Colts finish ninth in total offense last season, and the run game was a major part of that success. Indianapolis ranked second in the NFL with 27 rushing touchdowns and tied for 10th with 4.5 yards per carry.
The next chapter could get expensive. Nelson enters the final year of his contract in 2026, a setup that could lead to him resetting the guard market for the second time in his career.
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