The Indianapolis Colts signed center Ryan Kelly to a four-year contract extension worth $50 million, the team announced Thursday.
It was expected at some point that the Colts would try to lock up the former 2016 first-round pick before the 2020 season began but salary cap complications due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced the front office to hesitate on those plans.
Kelly’s extension is worth $50 million with $34 million guaranteed, including a $25.5 million signing bonus.
Colts are signing former 2016 first-round pick Ryan Kelly to a 4-year, $50 million extension that includes $34 million guaranteed, source tells ESPN. It makes him the highest-paid center in the league and ties him to Indianapolis for the next five seasons.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 3, 2020
$25.5 million signing bonus for Ryan Kelly, per source. https://t.co/X37eJ1VVIe
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) September 4, 2020
The new contract extension makes Kelly the highest-paid center in all of football. He’s the anchor of arguably the best offensive line in football and given the Colts’ newfound desire to build through the offensive line, it was only a matter of time before Indy got this deal done.