Eric Fisher’s scheduled visit to Indianapolis Colts is an obvious fit

The fit has made sense all along, so it’s hardly surprising that the Indianapolis Colts, who are in desperate need of proven help at left tackle, have asked former K.C. Chiefs tackle Eric Fisher, who is a two-time Pro Bowler at the position, to come in for a visit sometime this week.

According to NFL reporter Tom Pelissero, Fisher is slated to land in Indy sometime “later this week” in order to give both sides a chance to see whether there’s a fit. It would be a major upset for both if it didn’t work, simply because both the player and team would be very good for each other at this point in the offseason.

The Colts came through the start of free agency and the entire NFL Draft without adding a new cornerstone at left tackle after the retirement of longtime starter Anthony Castonzo in January. They’ve added plenty of depth along the offensive line—seventh round pick Will Fries out of Penn State, free agents like Sam Tevi and Julie’n Davenport—but no one has arrived who could even live up to Castonzo’s shadow.

Enter Fisher, who was unceremoniously released in February after tearing his Achilles in late January. In many ways, it’s understandable why the Chiefs moved on and the position now is certainly stronger than it’s been in years with the import of Orlando Brown, Jr. from the Baltimore Ravens. However, Fisher went down in a frustrating moment shortly before the biggest game of the season and then found himself unemployed weeks later. Eight years with a team was suddenly lost for something that was clearly not his fault.

Eric Fisher is due for a visit to the Indianapolis Colts.

In short, it’s hard not to feel that Fisher deserved better even as it’s also understandable that the Chiefs did what was best for the franchise. Both sides can be true.

That’s why it’s nice to see the Colts reach out to Fisher and give him a good place to land. The Colts, by all accounts, seem to be well-run organization with hopes of contending in the AFC South and beyond. Much of that will rest on the shoulders of Carson Wentz to be “the guy” in Indy, but the Colts boast a solid roster top to bottom. It’s a stable team with solid goals that needs a new left tackle. That’s nice to see for a player like Fisher in his post-Chiefs career.

At this point, the Colts are going to do any better than Fisher on the open market. He’s a longtime starter for a Super Bowl winner who has continued to grow into his role over the years, so much so that he earned both of his Pro Bowl nods in recent seasons (2018, 2020). Before he went down with the Achilles injury, Fisher was playing great for the Chiefs outside.

This pairing depends on Fisher’s ability to return from such a devastating injury, and if he’s not ready, then none of this even matters. However, the Chiefs originally projected Fisher to be ready by August, per their training staff, and the Colts likely wouldn’t care for a visit from Fisher at this point unless there was something legitimate to discuss—some progress made or a timeline coming into view.

Here’s hoping Fisher and the Colts can find a way to make something work. The need is there on both sides and it’s a nice place for Fisher to land after the events of the last few months.