Colts offensive lineman Anthony Castonzo announces retirement

Anthony Castonzo (Jeffrey Beall, Wikimedia Commons)

According to Mike Wells of ESPN on Tuesday, Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Anthony Castonzo of Des Plaines, Illinois, has announced his retirement from the National Football League at age 32. Castonzo, who was listed at 6’7″, 305 pounds, had played 144 games for the Colts at left tackle from 2011 to 2020.

Initially the Colts’ first-round draft pick, 22nd overall, in the 2011 National Football League Draft, Castonzo played his college career at Boston College. He was with the Eagles for two seasons in 2007 and 2009. As a freshman for Boston College in 2007, Castonzo was part of an offensive line who helped protect future NFL star quarterback Matt Ryan, who went on to star for the Atlanta Falcons.

While with the Colts, among the quarterbacks Castonzo was hired to protect were Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck, Jacoby Brissett, and Philip Rivers. He was also expected to help Colts running backs such as Frank Gore, Marlon Mack, and Jonathan Taylor find wide open running lanes on the football field.

On November 16, 2014, Castonzo caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Luck for his lone NFL career touchdown. It came in a 42-20 Colts loss to the New England Patriots.

Also in 2014, Castonzo had arguably the best season of his NFL career, and was known for his endurance. In addition to the touchdown catch, he led the NFL among all offensive linemen for being on the football field for 1115 snaps. Over that time, he only allowed two sacks. The exceptional play led to the Colts signing Castonzo to a four-year deal worth $43.8 million.

Unfortunately for Castonzo injuries were an issue throughout his career. In 2011, he missed four weeks with an ankle injury. He also missed three games with a knee strain in 2015, five games with a hamstring injury in 2018, and four games with ankle surgery in 2020.

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