Tag: Ryan Kelly

Colts C Ryan Kelly says there’s a ‘high chance’ he plays vs Titans

Colts’ center Ryan Kelly told reporters on Wednesday that there is a “high chance” he plays on Sunday against Tennessee.

Center Ryan Kelly expects to be on the field Sunday for the Indianapolis Colts’ Week 16 matchup with the Tennessee Titans.

Prior to Wednesday’s practice and meeting with reporters, Kelly said that there’s a “high chance” he plays in this week’s game. Kelly added that the rehab “took a little longer” than anticipated.

Kelly was placed on injured reserve prior to the Colts’ Week 10 matchup against Buffalo. He was designated to return to practice last week and did practice all three days but in a limited fashion.

After initially being listed as questionable on Friday for the Colts’ matchup this past Sunday with Denver, Kelly was downgraded to out on Saturday. Danny Pinter would get the start over rookie Tanor Bortolini.

With Anthony Richardson back under center in recent weeks and a change at right guard, the Colts’ run game has very much improved in recent weeks. However, the overall offensive line play–in large part due to injuries–has still been shaky, particularly in pass protection, where Richardson is among the highest-pressured quarterbacks since returning to the starting lineup.

Any sort of chance of consistent success for the Colts offense is going to have to begin with more steady play from the collective offensive line unit in the remaining games of the season.

This season, the Titans’ defensive front is allowing 4.1 yards per rush, the seventh-best mark this season, and rank 30th in pressure rate.

Kelly this season is 20th out of 43 centers in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric and is 29th in run-blocking grade.

Colts designating C Ryan Kelly to return from injured reserve

The Indianapolis Colts are designating center Ryan Kelly to return from injured reserve heading into Week 15.

The Indianapolis Colts are designating center Ryan Kelly to return from injured reserve, announced head coach Shane Steichen on Wednesday.

Kelly was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury prior to the Colts’ Week 10 matchup with the Buffalo Bills.

This was the anticipated move with Steichen mentioning before the bye week that there was a “good possibility” that Kelly could return to the practice field.

Once designated to return, there is a 21 day window for Kelly to be activated back to the 53-man roster, at which point a corresponding cut will have to be made to make room for him.

Kelly can be activated on Day 1 or Day 21, it’s just all dependent upon his health and availability. Once activated, he can play on Sundays.

Without Kelly, the Colts turned to rookie Tanor Bortolini from Weeks 10-13. Overall, this season, when called upon, Bortolini has held his own, allowing seven pressures and no sacks on the year, ranking 14th in pass-blocking efficiency among all centers. By PFF’s run-blocking grade, Bortolini ranks 19th.

However, Bortolini entered concussion protocol after the Detroit game and missed the most recent matchup with the Patriots.

Down both Kelly and Bortolini, the Colts turned to veteran Danny Pinter, who gave up only one pressure against New England and, along with Mark Glowinski at right guard, provided some stability in the run game.

Prior to being placed on injured reserve, Kelly had surrendered one sack and seven pressures. By PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric, he ranked 15th among centers going into Week 10 and was 26th in run-blocking grade.

At this point, we do not know if Kelly will be available against Denver, but awaiting the Colts’ offense is a stingy Broncos defense with a very good pass rush.

Colts will be without key offensive starter vs. Bills

Colts will be without key offensive starter vs. Bills

The Indianapolis Colts’ offensive line won’t be at full strength when they host the Buffalo Bills in Week 10. They’ll be missing a major piece to their puzzle up front.

On Tuesday, the team placed veteran center Ryan Kelly on injured reserve, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Kelly, a Pro Bowler in four of the past five years, will miss at least the next four games for the Colts after suffering a knee injury.

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor will be looking to get back on track on the ground this week despite the loss of their team captain at center. In last week’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, he was held to 3.7 yards per carry and totaled just 48 yards.

Taylor will attempt to right the ship while running behind rookie center Tanor Bortolini on Sunday. But, even with a fourth-round rookie handling the snaps, the Bills defensive line will still be tested.

Bortolini, a former Wisconsin Badger, will start at center for Kelly for the third time this year. He has fared well while at center so far. In 160 total snaps, his 66.3 Pro Football Focus grade ranks 18th among 57 qualifying centers. Bortolini has given up zero sacks on just one pressure allowed and has committed just one penalty.

The Bills’ defensive line has seen its struggles as of late and they recently lost defensive linemen DeWayne Carter and Dawuane Smoot to IR. They did bring back free-agent defensive tackles Jordan Phillips and Quinton Jefferson on Wednesday, but they are a unit on the team that has left a lot to be desired.

How the Bills’ front, particularly Ed Oliver and DaQuan Jones, perform going up against the rookie is now a key matchup to watch in Week 10.

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One Colts player makes PFF’s top-50 list of 2025 free agents

Pro Football Focus put together its list of the top 50 free agents in 2025, which included one member of the Indianapolis Colts.

Perhaps it’s still a bit premature to be looking at the upcoming offseason, but Pro Football Focus is going for it anyways, putting out their list of the top-50 free agents in 2025, which features one member of the Indianapolis Colts.

Coming in at No. 33 on the list is Colts’ center Ryan Kelly. In the middle of the one the best offensive line units in football, Kelly is coming off a very good 2023 season. He has missed two games this year with a neck injury but appears to be in line to return this Sunday after being a full participant in practice the last two days.

Through three games, Kelly has given up only three pressures and no sacks by PFF’s metrics. He ranks ninth among all centers in ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric and is 15th in PFF’s run-blocking grade.

Kelly’s impact, however, begins pre-snap with his ability to identify and set protections, so all blockers are on the same page, along with being one of the leaders of this team.

Kelly is in the final year of his current deal. Over the summer, Kelly told reporters that his representatives approached the Colts about an extension, however, at least at that time, that was not a path that Indianapolis wanted to go down.

In April, the Colts drafted Tanor Bortolini in the fourth-round of the draft to be the potential replacement for Kelly at center. Bortolini has filled in well for Kelly in these last two games, potentially making it only more likely that Kelly ends up playing elsewhere in 2025.

Other notable free agents for the Colts next offseason include Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, EJ Speed, Julian Blackmon, and Dayo Odeyingbo.

Colts C Ryan Kelly not practicing on Wednesday heading into Week 5

Colts center Ryan Kelly was not practicing on Wednesday heading into the team’s Week 5 matchup against the Jaguars.

The Indianapolis Colts were without Ryan Kelly during Wednesday’s practice as the team prepares for their Week 5 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Kelly has been sidelined with a neck injury. He missed practice on Thursday and Friday of last week and then did not play this past Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Despite the ups and downs that the Colts have navigated on offense in the early going, the offensive line play has been quite good, providing some needed stability to that unit.

Leading the way from the interior is Kelly. Through three games, Kelly had surrendered just three pressures and no sacks, according to Pro Football Focus’ metrics, and ranks ninth among centers in ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric. He’s also 15th out of 36 eligible centers in PFF’s run-blocking grade.

Filling in for Kelly this past Sunday was rookie fourth-round pick Tanor Bortolini, who not only made his first NFL start, but saw his first NFL action against a very good Steelers defensive front.

However, Bortolini was able to impress in his debut. For more on that, click here.

This week the Colts offensive line will face a Jaguars defensive front that ranks 15th in pressure rate and sixth in yards per rush allowed.

Colts missing 6 starters versus the Steelers

The Colts defense is thin versus the Steelers this week.

It is only Week Four of the NFL regular season but the Indianapolis Colts are already pushing their depth to the limits, especially on defense. When the Colts square off with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, they will do it without six starters, five of which are on defense.

In looking at the Colts defenders that are out, it’s clear the Indianapolis defensive line is the spot for the Steelers to attack. Pittsburgh’s rushing attack is still getting up to speed and a hobbled defensive front might be the boost running back Najee Harris needs.

Here is a full rundown of the Colts starters out this week versus the Steelers.

*C Ryan Kelly (neck)

*CB Kenny Moore II (hip)

*DE Kwity Paye (quad)

*DT DeForest Buckner (ankle)

*CB JuJu Brents (knee)

*DE Samson Ebukam (Achilles)

The only Steelers starter out for this week is guard Isaac Seumalo. He is being replaced in the starting lineup by rookie Mason McCormick.

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Steelers Week 4: Colts’ center OUT with injury just hours before kickoff

4-time Pro Bowler Ryan Kelly, although initially questionable to play, will sit out of the Week 4 contest for the Colts.

It appears that Mason McCormick won’t be the only fourth-round rookie offensive lineman making his first career start today. Four-time Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro center for the Colts, Ryan Kelly, will miss the Week 4 contest with an apparent neck injury. Starting in his place is fourth-round rookie center Tanor Bortolini out of Wisconsin.

Kelly practiced on Wednesday but missed Thursday and Friday while nursing an apparent neck injury. The Colts’ left tackle Braden Smith was also questionable with a knee injury but is active for the Week 4 contest.  The Colts have had several injuries to key players on both sides of the ball.  Bortolini will have a tough task ahead of him, making his first career start against the terrifying Pittsburgh defensive front.

Will Cam Heyward, Keeanu Benton, and Larry Ogunjobi give the rookie center a difficult day at the office?  Steelers fans hope so, as Pittsburgh looks to remain undefeated against an elite, but now injured Indianapolis offensive line.

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Report: Colts C Ryan Kelly out vs. Steelers; rookie Tanor Bortolini in

According to Ian Rapoport, the Colts will be without center Ryan Kelly and rookie Tanor Bortolini will be making his first start.

The Indianapolis Colts will be without Ryan Kelly on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. In his place, will be rookie Tanor Bortolini.

Kelly was a full participant during Wednesday’s practice but would miss Thursday and Friday’s practices with a neck injury and was listed as questionable heading into this game.

Bortolini has been a healthy inactive the first three weeks of the season. With veteran Danny Pinter on the roster as well, he provided depth at center and both guard positions through these first few games.

However, instead of giving Pinter the start, the Colts are opting to give Bortolini some very valuable in-game reps.

Across from Bortolinni will be Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton, and one of the best run defenses in football. As a unit, the Steelers are allowing the second-fewest yards per carry this season. It won’t be easy against this front, but the Colts have to remain committed to the run game in this matchup.

Bortolini was a fourth-round pick by the Colts this past April. He appeared in the first two preseason games playing 63 snaps at center, according to PFF, before missing the finale with a toe injury.

During training camp, offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter spoke about the difficult learning curve that can come at the center position when making the jump from college to the NFL.

Colts have made it ‘clear’ they don’t want to do early extension with C Ryan Kelly

Ryan Kelly told reporters on Wednesday that the Colts made it ‘clear’ that early extension talks won’t be happening.

Indianapolis Colts’ center Ryan Kelly is entering the final year of his deal, but from the sounds of it, extension talks won’t be happening any time soon.

With veterans and rookies reporting for training camp on Wednesday, Kelly said that the Colts’ made it “clear,” according to James Boyd of The Athletic, that early extension talks wouldn’t be taking place. Kelly, however, would still like to stay with the team.

“We made it known that we wanted to stay and have an extension,” said Kelly to reporters.

Kelly added that his representation went to the team wanting to do an extension, but the Colts didn’t see it as a priority for them.

After missing the Pro Bowl in 2022, Kelly, along with the rest of the offensive line, bounced back in 2023. He went from allowing 25 pressures and five sacks in 2022 to only seven pressures and one sack in 2023.

Among the center position, Kelly ranked first in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric and posted the highest run-blocking grade of his career as well. On PFF’s positional rankings, Kelly was listed as the fourth-best center heading into 2024.

As the center, Kelly will play a key role in the development of quarterback Anthony Richardson. There is, of course, the leadership element that Kelly brings to the table, both on and off the field. But there is also his ability pre-snap to identify and communicate needed protection changes to the rest of the offense, helping to put Richardson in a position to succeed.

“Ryan’s my brother,” said Quenton Nelson. “He gives everything he can for this organization, and especially his guys on the offensive line. He’s been a leader since I got here. A guy I looked up to when I got here, and he’s so important to our O-line room, especailly, and then this team as well.

“He played great last year, and just really happy for him to do that last year after what he’s gone through. It shows what a tough person he is and how much he loves this team.”

In the final year of his deal, Kelly comes with a cap hit of $14.625 million–the fourth largest on the team. Back in April, the Colts drafted Wisconsin’s Tanor Bortolini in the fourth-round, who very well could be the team’s future starting center.

Colts’ training camp roster preview: C Ryan Kelly

Up next in our Colts’ training camp roster preview is center Ryan Kelly. Here is a look back at 2023 and what’s ahead in 2024.

Veterans and rookies for the Indianapolis Colts will report for training camp on July 24th, with the first practice taking place on July 25th.

Between now and then I will be previewing the Colts’ 91-man roster with a look back at each player’s 2023 season, along with what’s ahead for 2024.

I’ll be going through the Colts’ roster alphabetically, so up next is center Ryan Kelly. To stay up to date with our other previews, be sure to head over to Colts Wire.

2023 Season Review

After missing out on the Pro Bowl in 2022, Kelly was able to bounce back in 2023. He went from allowing 25 pressures and five sacks in 2022, to just seven pressures and one sack this past season.

Among all centers, Kelly would rank first in PFF’s run-blocking grade metric and he posted the highest run-blocking grade of his career last season as well. On PFF’s positional rankings heading into the 2024 season, Kelly was listed as the fourth best center.

In addition to Kelly rebounding in 2023, the entire Colts’ offensive line unit did as well, finishing last season ranked in the top 10 in both yards per carry in the run game and with the ninth-lowest quarterback pressure rate allowed.

“I think after the ’22 season, Tony (Sparano) came in, saw that room for what it was, and it was still a lot of great players but not a lot of confidence,” said Kelly during minicamp, “and I think there’s a lot of multitude of reasons for that. So when he came in, the first day that we came in last year around this time, it was not even about football Xs and Os, it was about real personal stuff.

“Guys get into that because if you can’t build a relationship in there, then how can you build it out there? And I think that was a good part for us to trust Tony to trust us. And also, he just empowered us to go play. I think that starts with Shane, starts with Tony, starts with Jim Bob. Is to just go out there and play, and just trust our technique, trust that we’re great players and play together.”

2024 Season Preview

Kelly will, of course, be the Colts starting center this season and from that position can be a valuable resource for Anthony Richardson, who is still an inexperienced player with just 98 career dropbacks.

For one, there is the leadership Kelly provides to this Colts team both on and off the field, but he is a force multiplier as well, making those around him better. There is also his ability to pre-snap to identify and communicate needed protection changes to the blockers, helping to put Richardson in a position to succeed.

“Ryan’s my brother,” said Quenton Nelson. “He gives everything he can for this organization, and especially his guys on the offensive line. He’s been a leader since I got here. A guy I looked up to when I got here, and he’s so important to our O-line room, especailly, and then this team as well.

“He played great last year, and just really happy for him to do that last year after what he’s gone through. It shows what a tough person he is and how much he loves this team.”

The uncertainty for Kelly lies beyond this season when he is set to be a free agent. Recently, ESPN selected one remaining move that each NFL team should make, and for the Colts, they selected extending Kelly. The Colts used their fourth-round pick this past draft on Tanor Bortolini, who could be a long-term option at the center position.

Although there was plenty of attention on adding playmaking around Richardson this offseason, success for any young quarterback begins with the play of the offensive line.

“One, when you’ve got a young quarterback, you’ve got to protect him,” said GM Chris Ballard earlier this offseason. “That’s one which I think we did a pretty good job last year, and we’ll continue to do well. Tony (Sparano Jr.) has done well with that group. We’ve got a talented group of O-linemen.”