One of the best Colts interior offensive linemen in franchise history will be continuing his NFL career elsewhere.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Indianapolis Colts longtime Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly is signing with the Minnesota Vikings on a 2-year, $18 million deal (with $9 million guaranteed):
Four-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly is signing with the #Vikings on a two-year, $18 deal, including $9M guaranteed, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
After nine seasons, Kelly moves on from the #Colts and provides a needed an upgrade for Minnesota’s interior o-line. pic.twitter.com/FfTP3JyTOf
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 10, 2025
It’s the end of an era in Indianapolis, as the former 2016 first round pick of the Colts was the last remnant on the team from former general manager Ryan Grigson’s tenure.
Like the former Colts’ All-Pro center before him, Super Bowl Champion Jeff Saturday, Kelly will now take his talents to an NFC North squad before potential pro football retirement.
Kelly finishes his standout Colts career, having made 121 career starts for Indianapolis and becoming an NFL 2nd-Team All-Pro and 4x NFL Pro Bowler in the process.
The 31-year-old still clearly has some gas left in the tank, finishing as PFF’s 11th best grade center with a +67.0 overall grade (and 10th in ESPN’s pass block win rate at 95% among all NFL interior offensive linemen) during 10 starts in 2024.
Injuries—including recent concussions, and advanced football age have caught up to Kelly a bit, as while he remains productive, he’s clearly taking a pay cut in Minnesota—going from $14.625M last year with the Colts to around $9M this upcoming season with the Vikings.
While Kelly was hoping for a return to Indianapolis as his first choice, it appears as though that significant interest was never mutual. The Colts never engaged Kelly’s representation for a contract extension dating back to last offseason, and it appears that the plan was always to transition to 2024 4th round pick Tanor Bortolini sooner rather than later, who made 5 starts as a rookie—and was clearly Kelly’s heir apparent, waiting in the wings.
Even though Kelly’s last few years didn’t have the significant team success that Colts fans were ideally hoping for, he remains one of the best centers in franchise history.
We wish him well in Minnesota and are thankful for the standout seasons he had as a Colt!