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After 10 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, left tackle Anthony Castonzo is putting his cleats up officially after releasing a team statement on social media.
Having been one of the best tackles to play that position, Indianapolis will have a tough job ahead of themselves to find a replacement for Castonzo. Although not having been named to a single Pro Bowl in his 10 seasons, Castonzo had a grade of 74 or higher in eight of the seasons by Pro Football Focus. So it truly will be a position that Colts will have to address immediately.
Anthony Castonzo spent his whole career as a Colt
The 32-year-old was drafted by the Colts in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. It was reported that Anthony Castonzo did contemplate retirement after the 2019 season, likely due to Castonzo missing six games. Nonetheless, he signed a two-year, $33 million extension with the team.
Castonzo has protected several quarterbacks in his time as a Colt. In his first season alone, Castonzo lined up with three different starting QBs in 2011. But for the majority of his career, Andrew Luck was the signal-caller that he protected. Castonzo's best highlight likely comes from a pass that he caught from Luck for a touchdown.
Although not having won a Superbowl, he has certainly helped protect some great QBs in his time. His last dance will now have been with veteran Philip Rivers, who could also be contemplating retirement after his lone season with the Colts. It is safe to say that Anthony Castonzo has had one of the best experiences a pro-tackle could have had.
It will be interesting to see what Anthony Castonzo does in his retirement, but there is always a possibility that the Colts' organization brings him back in some coaching position. We have also seen retired players come back to play for teams, which could happen if the Colts were heavily desperate for his services.
