After seeing several players depart on the first day of the “legal tampering” period for free agency, the Minnesota Vikings have finally secured a notable external free agent.
Multiple sources, including ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, report that the Vikings have reached an agreement on a two-year, $18 million deal with center who has spent his entire career with the Indianapolis Colts.
He was drafted by the Colts as the 18th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft after a successful college career at the University of Alabama, was a second-team All-Pro in 2020 and has earned Pro Bowl honors four times, with his most recent selection in 2023.
In September 2020, the Colts made Kelly the NFL’s highest-paid center at the time by signing him to a four-year, $50 million contract extension. Over his nine-year career, Kelly has played in 112 games, starting every one of them.
The main concern with Kelly is his health. He’s only played in every regular season game twice during his career—starting all 16 games in 2019 and all 17 in 2022. Aside from those seasons, injuries have affected him regularly. However, the Vikings clearly weren’t deterred by this, as they’ve brought him in to strengthen their offensive line.
The key question now is where exactly Kelly will play. The Vikings currently have Garrett Bradbury under contract at center, but there’s speculation they might shift Kelly to guard. Alternatively, this could signal the end of Bradbury’s time with the team, as releasing him would result in a $2.4 million dead money hit but would save $3.6 million in cap space.
No matter where he lines up, Ryan Kelly is a clear upgrade for a Vikings interior offensive line that has struggled for years—arguably since Steve Hutchinson’s departure.
Welcome to Minnesota, Ryan Kelly!
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