INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts are getting an unexpected look at the possible future of their offensive line.
Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly has been placed on the injured reserve list, which means he must miss at least the next four games. The Colts do not consider the undisclosed injury to be a season-ending situation, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Kelly is eligible to return for Indy’s Dec. 15 trip to Denver.
Next up: Rookie Tanor Bortolini.
The fourth-round draft pick started two games this season when Kelly was out with a neck injury, and that likely means the Colts again will start at least two rookies in Sunday’s meeting with the Buffalo Bills at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Undrafted rookie Dalton Tucker has started the last four games at right guard after Will Fries suffered a season-ending broken leg. Third-round pick Matt Goncalves made his first career start in Sunday’s loss at Minnesota injury as tackle Bernhard Raimann was out with a concussion.
Raimann remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol and his status for Sunday won’t be known until later in the week.
Kelly has started seven games this season while not only dealing with the neck injury, but other issues. He was on the injury/participation report last week with calf and knee issues leading up to the Vikings game. He did not practice Wednesday but was a full participant Thursday and Friday and was on the field for all 54 offensive snaps in the 21-13 loss to the Vikings.
Kelly, 31 and the 18th overall selection in the 2016 draft, is in his ninth season. He’s started 118 games, been named to four Pro Bowls and was a second-team All-Pro in 2020.
More important, he’s in the final year of a four-year, $49.65 million extension.
Kelly has expressed the desire to play past this season, but the Colts showed little interest in offering him an extension this offseason.
Always looking ahead, general manager Chris Ballard invested two mid-round draft picks on Bortolini and Goncalves.
Along with placing Kelly on IR, the Colts claimed safety Darren Hall of waivers from Arizona.
Hall has appeared in 35 games with 10 starts with the Cardinals and Atlanta, and spent time on the Colts’ practice squad in 2023.
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter/X at @mchappell51.