Will Fries was carted off the field during the Colts’ Week 5 loss to the Jaguars. A long-term absence is in store for the fourth-year guard as a result. 
Fries is set to undergo surgery tonight in a Jacksonville hospital, as noted by Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star. No immediate prognosis is in place, but the severity of the ailment – a tibia fracture in his right leg – is clear. A move to injured reserve should be expected, and it will be interesting to see if Fries will be able to return at some point late in the year.
The 26-year-old’s absence (regardless of how long it winds up being) will be acutely felt up front for the Colts. Fries made only three appearances during his rookie season, but he made nine starts the following year and took on a permanent first-team role in 2023. Last year resulted in another career-best PFF grade, and he landed the 32nd-best evaluation for guards.
Through the early portion of the current campaign, Fries has exceled in the ground game in particular. The former seventh-rounder entered Week 5 as PFF’s second-highest rated guard, and continuing that strong play would have been key for him individually and the Colts as a team. As a pending free agent, today’s injury threatens to hinder Fries’ market value on a second Indianapolis contract – something which could be challenging to afford given the investment already made in fellow guard Quenton Nelson – or one sending him to a new team.
The Colts were already without center Ryan Kelly for Sunday’s contest, and losing Fries thrust another inexperienced blocker into the mix. Dalton Tucker, an undrafted rookie, took over at right guard in place of the Penn State product, and he could occupy a starting role for the foreseeable future. The outcome of Fries’ surgery and his prognosis will be worth watching for closely.