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Vikings Sign Former Pro Bowler Ryan Kelly to Two-Year Deal

Ryan Phillips

Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly leaves the field after facing the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly leaves the field after facing the Jacksonville Jaguars. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Minnesota Vikings have a new interior offensive lineman, though it's unclear where he'll play.

Minnesota is set to sign former Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly to a two-year, $18 million deal. Kelly has spent all nine seasons of his career with the Indianapolis Colts, making 121 career starts. The Colts selected him with the 18th pick in the 2016 NFL draft and he quickly developed into one of the NFL's best centers. The 31-year-old made the Pro Bowl in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023 and was named second-team All-Pro in 2020.

Kelly has regressed some with age and he's joining a Vikings team that already has a former first-round pick at center. Garrett Bradbury was also the 18th pick in his draft year (2019) and, like Kelly, is a former Rimington Trophy winner. There is no word if one of the centers will switch positions, but Bradbury is heading into the final year of his contract.

Kelly has been a cornerstone for the Colts, but they were content to let him walk away in free agency.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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