Ryan Kelly

NFC North Notes: Bears, Lions, Kelly, Pack

March 20th, 2025 at 10:50am CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to the Bears agreeing to re-sign Travis Homer, they considered a veteran with ties to Ryan Poles and new running backs coach Eric Bieniemy. Chicago considered Kareem Hunt in free agency, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets. Poles and Bieniemy were with the Chiefs when they drafted Hunt in the 2017 third round, with the current Bears GM serving as Kansas City’s college scouting director at that point. Hunt won a rushing title as a rookie and was off to a better start in 2018, when a video of him kicking a woman led to his initial Kansas City ouster. The Chiefs circled back to Hunt six years later, after an Isiah Pacheco injury, and have since re-signed him. The Bears still have Homer and Roschon Johnson behind starter D’Andre Swift, who joins Jonah Jackson in reuniting with Ben Johnson.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

On the subject of Jackson, he is set to play right guard next season, per the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs. Jackson started four seasons at left guard in Detroit, but he will end up deferring to Joe Thuney, who landed as the All-Pro first team’s left guard in back-to-back seasons. The older of the Bears’ two guard trade pickups is in a contract year, Thuney gave no clues about a potential extension (via ESPN.com’s Courtney Cronin). Keeping with the reunion theme, Thuney signed with the Chiefs when Poles was still on Brett Veach‘s staff.
Losing durable veteran Kevin Zeitler to the Titans, the Lions appear in need at guard. Graham Glasgow remains, but the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett expects the team to add another starter-level option at the position. This could come in free agency or the draft. A few free agency options are available. Brandon Scherff, Dalton Risner, Cody Whitehair, Will Hernandez and Andrus Peat are among the top veteran options. Teven Jenkins is the leader in this clubhouse right now, and it will be interesting to see where the three-year Bears starter lands. Early in free agency, Jenkins had set a high price. Christian Mahogany, a 2024 sixth-round pick, looks to be in position to still compete for the job Zeitler held last season, Birkett adds.
The Vikings paid a high price for Will Fries but landed ex-Colts center Ryan Kelly on a mid-market deal. Kelly agreed to a two-year, $18MM contract that comes with $9.15MM guaranteed. No part of Kelly’s $7.89MM 2026 base salary is guaranteed, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes, giving Minnesota some flexibility on the soon-to-be 32-year-old center. The Vikings would carry no dead money if they cut Kelly next year. Elsewhere on Minnesota’s cap sheet, DB Tavierre Thomas‘ deal comes in at one year and $2MM, Wilson adds. The former Browns, Texans and Buccaneers defender commanded a $1MM guarantee.
Marcus Davenport‘s second shot at becoming a regular Lions contributor will include a pay cut. Reported as signing a deal worth up to $4.75MM, Davenport will be tied to $2.5MM in base value, via OverTheCap. Of that total, $1.65MM is guaranteed. The Lions are guaranteeing Davenport’s $1.35MM base salary, per Wilson, which would leave them with a near-$2MM dead money hit if they moved on. Davenport has missed 28 games over the past two seasons. Roy Lopez‘s “up to” report checked in at $4.75MM; the actual value of the Lions DT’s contract (via Wilson): $3.5MM.
The Lions also brought in former Bills tight end Quintin Morris on a free agency visit this week, FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz notes. Buffalo did not tender Morris as an RFA, passing on a $3.26MM price to retain its primary blocking tight end. The Lions matched a 49ers RFA offer sheet for Brock Wright last year; two years remain on Wright’s deal. Morris, 26, played 214 offensive snaps for the Bills last season.
Isaiah McDuffie‘s two-year, $8MM Packers pact does not bring any 2026 guarantees, though ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky indicates it carries a $750K roster bonus next year. Guaranteeing the 2024 linebacker starter $2.25MM, the Packers can move on for barely $1MM in dead money after the 2025 season.

Vikings, C Ryan Kelly Agree To Deal

March 10th, 2025 at 5:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ryan Kelly is leaving Indianapolis after nine seasons. The Pro Bowl center has agreed to terms with the Vikings, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler report.

The nine-year veteran will join the Vikings on a two-year, $18MM deal. Kelly will join a Minnesota O-line housing high-end tackle contracts for Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. Kelly will reunite with the GM who drafted him, Ryan Grigson, who is in the Vikings’ front office.

After signing a Colts extension in 2020, Kelly lobbied for a new deal last year. Nothing emerged, as Kenny Moore and Grover Stewart secured third Indianapolis contracts. Kelly played out his four-year, $49.65MM extension and will depart. He was the last position player acquired under Grigson’s GM tenure.

A 2016 first-round pick Kelly was tied to a fifth-year option when he inked his Colts extension. Playing well enough to keep going in Indy — but perhaps not well enough to follow Moore and Stewart with a third contract — that timeline placed Kelly as first-time free agent ahead of an age-32 season. That naturally affected his market this week.

Kelly missed seven games last season — largely due to in-season knee surgery — but has four Pro Bowls and a second-team All-Pro honor on his resume. The longtime Indy Quenton Nelson running mate up front made his most recent Pro Bowl as recently as 2023. Even during an injury-marred 2024, Kelly ranked 10th in pass block win rate. Pro Football Focus slotted him eighth among center regulars in ’23, when the Alabama alum played 17 games.

This signing looks set to displace Garrett Bradbury from his center post. PFF rated Bradbury 23rd and 27th since he re-signed on a three-year deal. Minnesota is bringing in a more proven blocker, and this would stand to end Bradbury’s six-season run as the Vikings’ starting center. The Vikes are likely to cut former second-round pick Ed Ingram. If Minnesota were to release Bradbury, it would save $3.6MM in cap space.

Colts, Ryan Kelly To Talk Re-Signing; Braden Smith Intends To Resume Career

February 27th, 2025 at 3:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the Colts had entered the 2024 season in better shape up front, they face major questions about the position group early this offseason. Ryan Kelly and Will Fries are free agents, and Braden Smith left uncertainty about his career after leaving the team to deal with an undisclosed personal matter late last season.

The Colts are not ready to separate from this batch of Quenton Nelson sidekicks just yet. Kelly has been expected to hit free agency for the first time, but the Colts are not merely going to let their longtime center test the market without entering discussions as well.

Chris Ballard will speak with Kelly’s camp at the Combine and then meet with the player in Indianapolis next week, per the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson. Huddling back up is a bit interesting, as Kelly sought a Colts extension during the 2024 offseason but did not receive one.

One of two players (along with long snapper Luke Rhodes) on Indianapolis’ roster to arrive before Ballard took over as GM (2017), Kelly played out the extension he signed under the current front office boss. While Kelly’s age (32 in May) will impact his market, the Pro Bowl blocker will garner interest from center-needy teams soon. The Colts have until 11am CT on March 10 to keep Kelly from speaking with other teams, as the franchise tag will not be in play here.

Kelly did miss seven games last season — his most absences since the 2017 slate — to join Fries and Smith among Colts blockers who were regularly unavailable in 2024. The 2016 first-rounder indicating enthusiasm for testing the market points to the Colts being unlikely to re-sign him before that point, but that did not stop them last year. Ballard received criticism for his inward-focused offseason plan, but he was able to re-sign defensive pillars Kenny Moore and Grover Stewart after they had begun the legal tampering period unsigned. A third Kelly contract would still stand to be in play even if he follows suit March 10.

Fries is interested in staying with the Colts, while Smith is under contract at a big number. The veteran right tackle missed Indy’s final five games last season, landing on the reserve/non-football illness list. But Ballard said (via Erickson) the former second-round pick is ready to resume his career. The GM did point to the sides needing to work through some things; that can regularly be interpreted as Combine code for a contract adjustment.

Smith, 29 in March, is tied to a $14.75MM base salary and $19.75MM cap number in the final year of his contract. A release would save the Colts $16.75MM, as they have not touched this contract since authorizing it back in 2021. Of course, Indy would carry a right tackle need in that case as well. Smith has played well when available, but he has been increasingly unavailable.

Third-round Matt Goncalves started eight games (at right and left tackle) as a rookie, and Smith also missed seven games in 2023 due to hip and knee injuries. His missed time over the past two seasons has likely given the Colts pause on moving forward with the contract as is once again.

Colts C Ryan Kelly Will Reach Free Agency

February 3rd, 2025 at 8:58am CST by Adam La Rose

Ryan Kelly has spent his entire career with the Colts, but his next deal may very well come from a different team. The veteran center recently confirmed he will test the open market this spring.

“Never been a free agent,” Kelly said (via Mike Chappell of Fox59), “so I’m excited to see what’s out there. My plan is to see what’s out there on the market. Indy can always match it. I’ll miss it, if that’s it. It was a good run for nine years.”

Kelly, 31, has started all 121 of his appearances with Indianapolis, providing the team with a consistent presence in the middle over that span. The four-time Pro Bowler made it clear after the end of the 2024 season that his preference is to remain with the Colts, although he is aware he will likely need to be on the move in March. Indianapolis did not include Kelly in the team’s long list of in-house players who were extended or re-signed last offseason, a strong sign a 2025 departure will take place.

The Colts selected a potential Kelly replacement in the form of Tanor Bortolini during last year’s draft. The Wisconsin product made 12 appearances and five starts as a rookie, filling in at center when Kelly missed time with a knee injury. Bortolini could serve as a cost-effective replacement for Kelly over the remainder of his rookie contract, allowing the Colts to focus on other positions with respect to free agent spending.

Kelly has remained steady in terms of PFF evaluation over the course of his career, ranking in the top 10 amongst qualifying centers three times. The most recent of those occasions was in 2023, so the former first-rounder could generate a notable market in spite of his age. Kelly’s PFF grade from this past season (67) was still good enough for 12th at his position.

The Alabama product landed an extension averaging just over $12.4MM in 2020. Kelly will be hard-pressed to command a similar AAV on a new pact this March (especially if he secures a multi-year commitment), but he will have the opportunity to receive offers from suitors before deciding on a potential Indianapolis departure.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Titans, Johnson

January 13th, 2025 at 6:08pm CST by Ben Levine

If Ryan Kelly has his way, he’ll continue his career in Indianapolis. However, the impending free agent center understands that there’s no guarantee that he’ll return to the only team he’s ever played for. Following the Colts‘ season finale, the former first-round pick discussed his future in the NFL…and he seemed to hint that his long stint with the organization may have come to an end.

“I just can’t be more thankful to be drafted here nine years ago,” Kelly said (via Mike Chappell of FOX59 in Indianapolis). “Two hours from home [in West Chester, Ohio]. Through the ups and downs. There’s not another place I’d rather be. Indy will always be home. … I love the horseshoe, man. It’s been an honor to represent it the right way.”

Despite 2024 representing his age-31 season, Kelly has continued to produce. He was named an alternate on this year’s Pro Bowl squad despite missing a chunk of games due to a knee injury. He also helped anchor a strong running attack, and considering his track record, he should attract plenty of interest as a free agent. While GM Chris Ballard has recently focused on retaining his own free agents, there’s a chance the organization is priced out of the Kelly sweepstakes. If that ends up being the case, the lineman is proud of his nine years in Indy.

“If I’m part of the team going forward, great,” Kelly said. “If not, it was an honor to wear the horseshoe.”

More notes out of the AFC South…

Sticking in Indy, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. won’t require surgery for the fracture in his back, per Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Star. The Colts WR recently revealed that he dealt with the injury for much of the 2024 season, and the issue was at one point expected to end his year prematurely. Instead, Pittman proceeded to get into 16 games with the Colts, although he finished with his fewest catches and receiving yards since his rookie campaign.
Nick Folk intends to add another season to his resume, as the kicker told Jim Wyatt of the Titans website that he intends to continue playing in 2025. The impending free agent also noted that he’d be interested in sticking with the Titans, where he’s led the NFL in field goal percentage in each of the past two years. The 17-year veteran hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down in recent years, and he should be a popular name on the free agent market this offseason.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is also interest in re-signing with the Titans, per Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com. The former UDFA has spent his entire career in Tennessee, and 2024 marked his most productive season with the organization. NWI found the end zone nine times this past year while hauling in 32 catches for 497 yards.
After inking a three-year contract with the Jaguars last offseason, Arik Armstead struggled to find his role, as the veteran finished with only a pair of sacks while starting one of his 17 appearances. After playing a rotational role on the edge in 2024, Armstead told reporters that he’s switching back to the interior in 2025. “I’m gonna switch back inside, which is what I wanted to do this season,” Armstead told reporters (including ESPN’s Michael DiRocco). “And I’m gonna be back playing [as the] elite player that I know I can be.” The veteran previously spent his entire career in San Francisco, and he spent his final two seasons with the 49ers primarily serving as a defensive tackle.
Diontae Johnson acknowledged that he had an issue with a lack of targets during his 2024 stops with the Panthers and Ravens, but the wideout believes he’s in a good spot with the Texans. In fact, Johnson admitted that he was hoping to join the Texans when the Panthers shopped him at the trade deadline. “I was excited because I wanted to come here before when I was about to get traded,” Johnson said (via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston). “Now that I’m here, fresh start and I’m looking forward to playing.”

Colts Activate C Ryan Kelly, LB Jaylon Carlies

December 21st, 2024 at 12:29pm CST by Ben Levine

The Colts are set to receive some reinforcement on both sides of the ball. The team announced that they’ve activated center Ryan Kelly and linebacker Jaylon Carlies from injured reserve.

Kelly landed on injured reserve in early November with a knee injury. Kelly dealt with lingering injuries through the start of the season (including a neck issue that kept him off the field for Week 4 and Week 5), and the lineman is set to make his fewest appearances since his sophomore campaign.

Currently in his ninth professional season, Kelly struggled a bit to begin the year, with Pro Football Focus grading him 21st among 42 qualifying centers. If this trend continues, it will mark the third time since 2021 that Kelly has graded as an average or below-average center (although he did rank eighth at the position in 2023). Both Tanor Bortolini and Danny Pinter have filled in at center while Kelly was out of the lineup.

A fifth-round pick, Carlies got some early looks, garnering 143 defensive snaps in seven games (three starts). Before suffering a lower-leg injury in Week 7, the rookie collected 21 tackles and one sack. Carlies has shown plenty of versatility already, lining up on the defensive line, in the box, and even at cornerback, so he shouldn’t have any issues finding his way back into the lineup.

In corresponding moves, the Colts waived safety Darren Hall and promoted cornerback Tre Flowers and guard Mark Glowinski as standard gameday elevations. Hall got into four games with the Cardinals earlier this season before getting waived. He was subsequently claimed off waivers by the Colts but hasn’t gotten into a game with his new squad. Flowers joined Indy’s practice squad in October but hasn’t seen any playing time. After sitting out the first few months of the season, Glowinski caught on with his former squad back in November. With the Colts dealing with injuries along their OL, the veteran has already been tasked with starting two games for the team. This will mark Glowinski’s third promotion, so there’s a chance he earns a regular roster spot next week.

Colts Designate C Ryan Kelly For Return

December 11th, 2024 at 10:35am CST by Sam Robinson

As expected, Ryan Kelly is on his way back. The Colts will have their center at practice Wednesday, with Shane Steichen announcing the Pro Bowl blocker will receive a return designation from IR.

Kelly has missed the required four games, due to a knee injury, but has been viewed as likely to be back when first eligible. That comes in a pivotal game against the Broncos, who hold the final AFC wild-card spot the Colts are chasing. The Colts are also designating linebacker Jaylon Carlies for return from IR. Indianapolis has four injury activations remaining.

Kelly is the only homegrown Colts player remaining who predates GM Chris Ballard‘s 2017 arrival. Indianapolis chose Kelly in the 2016 first round and has used him as its starting center since. Although Ballard has relentlessly used a draft-and-extend blueprint as Indy’s GM, Kelly may not be in line for a third Colts contract. He signed an extension back in 2020 and has expressed interest in another deal, but the Colts have not entered negotiations. This leaves Kelly’s post-2024 future as rather murky, highlighting the importance on this season’s stretch run for the ninth-year center’s value.

It is possible the Colts circle back to Kelly before free agency or during the legal tampering period. They proceeded this way with Kenny Moore and Grover Stewart this year, re-signing both after each hit the market. But Kelly is also closing out an age-32 season, offering a complication. He may well have a chance to test the market for the first since, seeing as his 2020 Indianapolis re-up came months before he was to hit free agency.

Kelly sits in the top 10 all time among O-line longevity as a Colt. His 118 starts rank 10th. The top two longest-running O-linemen for the Colts played center (Ray Donaldson, Jeff Saturday), so Kelly appears — especially given his contract situation — set to fall short of their respective durations. But he can certainly help the 2024 team attempt to stay in the playoff race. The Colts are 6-7; a loss to the 8-5 Broncos would all but bury them in the wild-card race. Indianapolis sits two games behind Houston for the AFC South lead as well.

ESPN’s run block win rate slots Kelly seventh among all interior O-linemen this season, and he sits 14th in that group in pass block win rate. The Colts had used rookie/potential successor Tanor Bortolini as Kelly’s replacement, but he missed Week 13 with a concussion. The team is also likely to need another fill-in start at right tackle. Steichen said (via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder) Braden Smith is still dealing with a personal matter and is not expected to play in Week 15. Rookie Matt Goncalves started at RT two weeks ago and would appear set to stay in that role for the time being.

AFC South Notes: Colts, Harris, Jaguars

December 3rd, 2024 at 2:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Given a historically quick hook based on his draft status, Anthony Richardson has continued to struggle as a passer upon being reinserted into the Colts‘ lineup. He has only bumped his completion percentage up to 47.5, remaining on pace to become just the seventh QB to finish south of 50% (min. 200 attempts) this century. Still, Richardson has guided Indianapolis to two wins since returning.

The benching also came partially because of Richardson’s preparation issues. Adding more on that, ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder indicates the Colts believed their quarterback needed to invest more time into his job. This was a bigger organizational concern than Richardson’s accuracy issues, Holder notes. The benching provided a wakeup call, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, and Richardson’s literal wakeup calls have come earlier since. The QB, per Holder, is believed to be showing up at the facility around 5:30am to begin preparation.

Richardson may not be out of the woods yet regarding assurances the Colts stick with him in 2025. While the benching certainly garnered his attention, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes the quarterback may well be tied to the fates of GM Chris Ballard and HC Shane Steichen. It would seem a bit unlikely Jim Irsay would fire Steichen if the team misses the playoffs, but Ballard is in Year 8 and would be 2-for-8 in postseason berths if the 6-7 Colts miss out this season. This nugget would point to a new GM not being tied to Richardson, which would place the raw talent on shakier ground. The Ballard-Steichen-Richardson trio still has four games to prove it deserves a third season together.

Here is the latest from the AFC South:

Richardson may soon have a Pro Bowl center snapping to him once again. Steichen said (via CBS4’s Mike Chappell) Ryan Kelly will have a good chance of returning to practice before the Colts’ Week 15 game against the Broncos. Kelly landed on IR due to a knee injury, one that was not expected to be season-ending. With Kelly playing out an extension he signed in 2020, this Colts homestretch will be pivotal to his 2025 market. Kelly is a four-time Pro Bowler who would be a free agent — barring a deal before the legal tampering period — ahead of an age-32 season. The Colts have been a retention-heavy team under Ballard, but they have seen fourth-round rookie Tanor Bortolini hold his own in Kelly’s stead.
Staying on the subject of IR returns, the Texans have been without linebacker Christian Harris all season. The AFC South leaders placed Harris on IR with a return designation August 27, devoting one of their injury activations to the third-year defender in advance. Harris, however, has lingered on IR (with a calf injury) since. But GM Nick Caserio pointed to a near-future return. Harris has not seen his practice window opened, but KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson adds that is likely to happen soon. With Azeez Al-Shaair appealing a three-game suspension, Houston could certainly use Harris — a 23-game starter from 2022-23 — back in action.
Doug Pederson is following in Ron Rivera‘s footsteps as a second-chance HC playing out the string. The Jaguars are all but certain to fire the former Super Bowl-winning coach at season’s end. This will leave Pederson’s staff in limbo, and one of the staffers — running backs coach Jerry Mack — is getting out early. Kennesaw State hired Mack as head coach, the school announced. A former HC at North Carolina Central and RBs coach at Tennessee, Mack spent nearly 20 years in the college ranks before joining Pederson’s staff this year. The 44-year-old assistant will return to the college ranks months after arriving in Jacksonville.

Colts Place C Ryan Kelly On IR

November 5th, 2024 at 3:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Colts’ offensive line will be shorthanded for a stretch. The team announced on Tuesday that center Ryan Kelly has been placed on injured reserve.

As a result, he will be sidelined for at least the next four games, although CBS4’s Mike Chappell reports that Kelly is expected to miss only those four contests. Indianapolis’ longest-tenured player has made 188 appearances (all starts), and he has failed to play double-digit games in a season only once in his career. The team now faces the rare circumstance of finding a replacement over at least the short term. Joel A. Erickson of the Indy Start reports this is not expected to be season-ending ailment, and a return after the four-game minimum could be in play.

Kelly has been a model of consistency for much of his career, posting a top-10 PFF rank amongst centers three times out of the past six years. 2024 has seen him take a step back, however, with his run blocking in particular drawing a poor evaluation. The four-time Pro Bowler’s absence will nevertheless be felt on a Colts offense which has struggled for much of the year, prompting a quarterback change.

Joe Flacco is certainly not as mobile as Anthony Richardson, so the team’s pass protection moving factor will be a key factor in its ability to contend for an AFC postseason berth. Kelly is attached to the NFL’s fourth-most valuable center contract in terms of annual average compensation ($12.41MM). His ability to return to full health in short order will thus be an important story to follow. The Alabama product is also a pending free agent, so his level of play once back on the field will play a role in determining the value of his next pact.

In a corresponding move, the Colts claimed safety Darren Hall off waivers from the Cardinals. A fourth-rounder of the Falcons in 2021, Hall handled a part-time defensive role as a rookie and took a notable step forward in playing time the following year. He did not see any regular season game action in 2023, a season in which he found himself on the Colts’ practice squad. Hall, 24, made four appearances with the Cardinals this season and played a minor role on defense while chipping on a special teams. A similar workload can be expected in Indianapolis.

Colts Not Planning Ryan Kelly Extension Before Season

July 24th, 2024 at 12:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Going through a retention-heavy offseason, Chris Ballard showed a willingness to hand out third contracts to longtime Colts. Kenny Moore and Grover Stewart signed third contracts as Colts, each receiving raises from their initial extensions. This is not a uniform policy, however, and the Colts appear set to let their longest-tenured player enter a platform year with an uncertain future.

Predating the eighth-year GM’s arrival, Ryan Kelly has been in place as Indianapolis’ center since 2016. The former first-round pick has lobbied for a second extension to stay in Indianapolis, but he has not seen the team share his interest. No deal has come about, and Kelly said Wednesday the team rebuffed his effort to secure a third contract.

“We made it known that we wanted to stay, that we wanted to have an extension, and they didn’t see it as part of their priorities,” Kelly said, via ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder. “From our standpoint, the Colts have basically made it pretty clear that they don’t want to do any early extension.”

The Colts did give Kelly his current contract — a four-year, $49.65MM deal — before the 2020 season, giving the Ryan Grigson-era draftee long-term security as the league’s highest-paid center. While Kelly’s contract no longer tops his position, the center market has not spiked like other positions have.

Nearly four years after Kelly’s extension was finalized, he remains the NFL’s third-highest-paid center. The Colts will run the risk of losing their Pro Bowl pivot — a reality the team explored early during the transition to Shane Steichen, when Kelly was dangled in trades — this offseason did show the team can retain talent when contracts expire.

Moore, Stewart, Tyquan Lewis and Julian Blackmon each re-signed after the legal tampering period began. The Colts previously hammered out big-ticket deals for the likes of Kelly, Quenton Nelson, Braden Smith, Jonathan Taylor and Shaquille Leonard months before they played a down in a contract year. Kelly, 31, may well need to show quality form once again to earn a third contract from the team.

The Alabama alum has made four of the past five Pro Bowls, earning an alternate nod last season. Pro Football Focus rated Kelly eighth among centers last season, while pass block win rate slotted him 20th among all interior O-linemen. The Colts did draft Tanor Bortolini as a potential successor, however, choosing the Wisconsin product in Round 4. Kelly has missed more than four games in a season just once — in 2017 — but he suffered two concussions last year. Kelly said in January he was not considering retirement.

Should Kelly stay healthy, he would stand to have a decent market in 2025. Based on how the Colts proceeded this offseason, they should not be ruled out from circling back to contract talks. For now, though, Kelly does not have assurances he will be back in Indiana next season.

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