Colts OT Jared Veldheer, RB Darius Anderson Elevated from the Practice Squad to the Active Roster

The Indianapolis Colts announced on Friday that left tackle Jared Veldheer has been elevated from the team’s practice squad to the active roster—along with running back Darius Anderson (the latter as a COVID-19 replacement) ahead of Saturday’s game.

Given his experience, and having played well last in the season finale, the 11-year veteran offensive tackle Veldheer is expected to start on the blindside again for the Colts. He’ll be filing in for Anthony Castonzo for a consecutive start, who was placed on injured reserve late in the season.

It’s worth noting that backup left tackle Will Holden (ankle), who started in Week 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, has already been ruled out for Saturday’s wild card matchup against the Buffalo Bills—meaning it’s purely Veldheer’s job to lose now.

Otherwise, Anderson has been promoted to replace Colts backup running back Jordan Wilkins, who remains on the team’s Reserve/COVID-19 list. However, Wilkins had been phased out offensively in more recent weeks with rookie Jonathan Taylor’s second half surge—yet still always presents reliable depth in the Colts backfield.