Latest concussion puts Ryan Kelly's Vikings, NFL future into question

It seems pretty likely that Kelly won't be back in Minnesota next season.

Ryan Kelly snaps the ball against the Atlanta Falcons. | Images Courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

Vikings center Ryan Kelly was ruled out of Sunday's game against the Giants with a concussion. That's always concerning for any player, but particularly so with Kelly. This is now his third concussion of the 2025 season and the sixth documented one of his NFL career.

Kelly suffered the injury on a run play midway through the second quarter and was ruled out for the game as the second half began.

Earlier this season, Kelly missed a Week 3 game against the Bengals after a concussion in the second game of the year. He then returned in Week 4 against the Steelers, only to pick up his second concussion in a 15-day span. That led to a trip to injured reserve and a two-month absence for the Vikings' starting center, with the team not wanting to take any risks.

Kelly returned a month ago against the Packers, sporting a new helmet and a Guardian Cap on top. But now, in his fifth game back and his eighth game this season, Kelly may have played his final snap in a Vikings uniform.

The Vikings signed the veteran Kelly to a two-year, $18 million deal this March, making them his second NFL team after nine seasons with the Colts. It's believed that Indianapolis let him walk in part because of concerns about his injury history, which included a couple concussions in the 2023 season.

When healthy, Kelly has been everything the Vikings hoped for at the position, receiving excellent grades in both pass protection and run blocking. But the four-time Pro Bowler just hasn't been on the field enough. And after this latest concussion, it feels reasonable to think retirement might be on the table for the 32-year-old Kelly.

“You have a conversation where you’re emotional, a little bit erratic, kind of spiraling mentally in a big situation and big moment in your career,” Kelly told the Minnesota Star Tribune earlier this year.

If he does decide to keep playing, it may not be in Minnesota. The Vikings can free up around $9 million in cap space, with a little over $3 million in dead money, by moving on from Kelly next spring. That might be an easy decision, as Kelly's injury history may no longer justify his price tag, especially for a Vikings team projected to be over the cap next year.

It feels like the only logical scenario where Kelly remains with the Vikings in 2026 is if he agrees to come back at a reduced cap number that bakes in the elevated injury risk.

In addition to Kelly, the Vikings also lost QB J.J. McCarthy (hand) and RB Jordan Mason (ankle) to injuries in the first half on Sunday.