INDIANAPOLIS – Colts starting with left-back Anthony Castonzo have decided to retire after playing 10 seasons in the NFL, he announced Tuesday.
“As a child, it was my dream to play in the NFL. I played my first full-time football approach in second grade,” Castonzo said in a statement. “Now I played my last. While I’m here now, after a 10-year career in the NFL, I’m extremely proud of all the hard work and sacrifice that allowed me to turn that dream into a goal and, in the end, after all, in a reality different from anything I could have even imagined ”.
Castonzo, selected in the first round of the 2011 draft, started all 144 games he played in his career. The Colts were 4-13 in games they missed in their careers.
“If you had told me afterwards [rookie] training camp that I would have a 10-year career, I would have laughed in front of you, “Castonzo said during a video press conference with reporters.
He said his decision to retire was final.
“I made the decision. I stick to it,” he said.
Castonzo flirted with retirement after the 2019 season, but decided to postpone it. He signed a two-year contract with the Colts in the winter of 2020, but said at the time that he intended to take on player status from year to year.
Injuries have affected Castonzo this season. He missed four games due to a knee and ankle injury. The Colts announced on Dec. 30 that Castonzo would lose the rest of the regular season and then the playoff game against Buffalo, which they lost due to ankle surgery.
He said on Monday, however, that his injuries this season did not play a role in his decision to retire.
“The Colts have been blessed with many talented offensive linemen throughout our rich history and Anthony Castonzo is among the best representing the Horseshoe,” Colts owner Jim Irsay said in a statement. “For 10 seasons, Anthony has consistently handled first-class passengers in one of the most difficult positions to play. He has quickly become the leader of our offensive line and set a standard for training, endurance and conditioning and play. Anthony He deserves an extraordinary amount of credit for helping our offensive line mature into one of the best units in the NFL. He will be badly missed, but we are so grateful for the CA’s contribution to our organization and congratulate him on a fantastic career. “
A cornerstone in front and in the community.
Happy retirement, @AnthonyCastonzo!
– Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) January 12, 2021
Colts could look inside the organization to find a replacement on the left for Castonzo. Coach Frank Reich said goalkeeper Quenton Nelson, who has been All-Pro in this position all three years in the NFL, is a possibility. Nelson, who has never played left-back in his NFL career, played a few shots there against the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 13.
“[Nelson] as an option there is certainly a realistic option that – [GM Chris Ballard] and we already had that conversation, obviously, when the AC was hurt, “Reich said earlier this week.” It was like, “Well, let’s take a look at Quenton, maybe it’s a real option.” I’ll let Chris know more about this when he arrives [the media] on Thursday. But yes, that would certainly be an option, but like any other decision, you have to look at all the options and consider all the factors. “
Castonzo said he was talking to former cornerback Andrew Luck, who retired before the 2019 season, on a regular basis, when asked on Monday what his career as a player would be like.
“We are good friends. I asked him, “How is it? “But I definitely relied on him, because he passed,” he said.