The Indianapolis Colts offensive line is the strength of their roster on that side of the ball, and they feel the one anchoring the middle of the unit has proven to be right for the job.
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Ryan Kelly is entering a contract year with the Colts, but he will still be leading the unit in hopes to get a new deal past his fifth-year option in 2020. It seems head coach Frank Reich certainly hopes so, especially with the praise he gave on Monday in a conference call with reporters.
“Man, I didn’t realize how much of an alpha dog he is. He has been top-notch,” Reich said. “I mean this guy has taken complete control of the offensive line room as far as the calls – what we do in the protection world and the run game. He is a really, really smart football player.”
Kelly’s first season with Reich was one coming off of a 2017 campaign that saw him play just seven games. In 2018, their first season together, Kelly played at a Pro Bowl level but wound up missing four games. That likely hurt his chances to go to the All Star game that year.
But in 2019, Kelly returned to form. He started all 16 games while playing 95% of the offensive snaps—the highest total since his rookie season in 2016. Kelly wound up going to the Pro Bowl as an alternate.
Reich feels the work done behind the scenes has helped Kelly turn into the alpha dog in the room.
“He prepares very hard. He is tough. He’s got that personality. You guys know what I am talking about, he’s got that deep voice and he talks with a lot of authority,” Reich said. “He’s not one for much small talk, right? He just calls, barking out the signals. I just think Ryan breeds confidence. I just think when you hear him make the calls you hear it with authority, you hear it with conviction. I think the offensive line feeds off of that.”
Kelly is coming off of a strong campaign in 2019. He allowed just one sack and five quarterback hits, per Pro Football Focus. He enters a contract year and it will be interesting to see if he gets another deal before the 2020 season begins.
Regardless, Kelly has certainly grown into being one of the top centers in the league. He has taken over the offensive line as its leader and should continue to do so for at least one more season.
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