A four-time Pro Bowler’s NFL career is seemingly in jeopardy after suffering his third concussion in three months.
Vikings center Ryan Kelly was placed on injured reserve Wednesday after he was concussed during a collision with Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
ESPN described the transaction as not only ending the 32-year-old’s season, but “possibly his career” as well.
“So much respect for Ryan as a player,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters, “and the way he took the amount of time he did and was fighting to get back on the field and felt ready to go. We were holding back a little bit beyond that. And then, when he returned to the field, the impact he’s had on our offense over these last few games have been massive.”
Kelly, who according to ESPN has six documented concussions during his 10-year professional career, was concussed during Weeks 2 and 4 and was on injured reserve for roughly two months before returning in Week 12.
He switched his helmet and began wearing a Guardian Cap, a padded covering that goes over a helmet, when he came back.
A first-round pick by the Colts out of Alabama in 2016, Kelly spent nine seasons in Indianapolis, earning Pro Bowl nods in 2019, ’20, ’21 and ’23.
He joined the Vikings this year on a two-year, $18 million contract and has earned $77.35 million during his career, according to Spotrac.
When he signed a four-year, $50 million contract extension with the Colts in 2020, it made him the highest-paid center in the NFL at the time.
