INDIANAPOLIS – Will Fries will join teammate Ryan Kelly in the NFC North.
The free agent guard agreed to terms with the Minnesota Vikings on a five-year, $88 million deal, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Fries, a seventh-round pick out of Penn State, was one of the top interior linemen remaining in NFL free agency.
He flashed tremendous potential for the Colts after being drafted in 2021 and earned the starting job at right guard. However, Fries suffered a fractured tibia in Week 5 against Jacksonville and spent the rest of the season on injured reserve.
The signing will reunite Fries with center Ryan Kelly, who reportedly agreed to a 2-year deal with the Vikings on Monday.
Kelly was the longest-tenured Colt on the roster. The departure of Kelly and Fries means the Colts will have a reworked interior, with a new starting center and a new starting right guard.
Left tackle Bernhard Raimann remains with the team, as does All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson. The team reworked right tackle Braden Smith’s deal just a few days ago.
In last year’s NFL Draft, the Colts selected Tanor Bortolini from Wisconsin and Matt Goncalves from Pittsburgh. Both players started games as rookies last season and will likely be called upon for expanded roles next season.