After Latest Setback, a Veteran Viking Faces Uncertain Future
Minnesota Vikings center Ryan Kelly has been a wonderful blocker in his first season with the purple squad, but his injury concerns won’t go away. His latest setback raises major concerns about his playing future in the NFL.
Ryan Kelly’s 3rd Concussion of the Season
Signed in free agency, Kelly was supposed to provide stability in the middle of the line. When available, he has provided a spark, but that hasn’t been the case enough to be happy with the signing nine months later.
On Sunday against the New York Giants, Kelly went down on a running play and had to come off the field. After halftime, the Vikings ruled him out for the remainder of the contest with a concussion. The scary element is that it’s his third concussion of the season and the sixth documented one in his NFL career.
Kelly started the first two games of the 2025 campaign, but suffered a concussion in Week 2. After sitting out the home victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, Kelly returned in Dublin’s bout against the Steelers. Missing one week in the protocol is a normal timeline. In Dublin, however, he sustained concussion number two, and the Vikings placed him on IR. This time, he was sidelined for six games.
The four-time Pro Bowler returned against Green Bay wearing a guardian cap. That couldn’t prevent the latest setback.
Given the number of concussions, Kelly’s long-term availability will inevitably be a topic of discussion this offseason.
In November, the Star Tribune‘s Andrew Krammer wrote about Kelly’s concussion problem: “Kelly, 32, considered retirement. He’s had at least five concussions in his 10-year career, but he said he met with doctors who eased his concerns about his long-term brain health. ‘A lot of soul searching, getting as many answers as I could,’ Kelly said, ‘and then I realized I’m not done. I still love this game.'”
At some point, a player’s health becomes the priority, and that balance will be part of Kelly’s offseason evaluation.
In his NFL career, Kelly has played in 129 games, including eight with the Vikings. The other 121 all took place in an Indianapolis Colts uniform. The franchise selected him in the first round of the 2016 Draft. His last full season was in 2022. In 2024, he also missed seven games.
Earlier in the year, when Kelly was out, he was replaced by backup guard Blake Brandel. On Sunday, however, preseason backup center Michael Jurgens took his spot. Perhaps having only Brandel as a backup tackle available led the Vikings to that decision. Right tackle Brian O’Neill entered the game as a game-time decision, and left tackle Christian Darrisaw was placed on IR on Friday.
The center position should be a main offseason priority, whether Kelly returns for a second season or not. The draft or free agency should be used to find a successor. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could move on from the veteran in the offseason, as only the first year of his two-year deal is guaranteed.
Kelly is 32 years old.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.