Colts reach $50 million extension with Ryan Kelly, make him league's highest-paid center
The Indianapolis Colts have locked down their center.
Ryan Kelly and the Colts reached a four-year, $50 million extension on Thursday afternoon that includes $34 million guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The deal makes Kelly the highest-paid center in the NFL.
Colts are signing former 2016 first-round pick Ryan Kelly to a 4-year, $50 million extension that includes $34 million guaranteed, source tells ESPN. It makes him the highest-paid center in the league and ties him to Indianapolis for the next five seasons.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 3, 2020
The Colts confirmed the signing, but did not disclose the terms of the deal. Kelly will now remain in Indianapolis for the next five years.
‘I just think Ryan breeds confidence’
Kelly was selected by the Colts with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He immediately entered the starting lineup and played in every game his rookie year. Kelly then missed 13 games over the next two seasons with multiple injuries, including his knee and his shoulder.
The 27-year-old returned to the starting lineup full time last season and reached the Pro Bowl. Kelly was set to earn more than $10 million this season under the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.
“He has been top-notch,” Colts coach Frank Reich said in May, via the team. “I mean, this guy has taken complete control of the offensive line room as far as the calls — what we do in the protection world and the run game. He is a really, really smart football player. He prepares very hard.
“I think Ryan just breeds confidence. I just think when you hear him make the calls you hear it with authority, you hear it with conviction. I think the offensive line feeds off of that.”
More from Yahoo Sports:
