Ryan Kelly, the 32-year-old starting center for the Minnesota Vikings, is on IR. This decision follows shortly after he endured his third concussion this season. The Vikings placed Kelly on concussion protocol in Week 2 and Week 4. Last Sunday, he sustained another head injury in a contest against the New York Giants. Sadly, this most recent injury likely ended his current season and might shorten his NFL career significantly.
Kelly was eventually drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the 1st round of the 2016 draft. Unfortunately, he’s got a scary past with concussions. He has suffered at least six known concussions during his career in the league. After dealing with other injuries this season, Kelly was on injured reserve for almost two months. His return to the field now has even more weight.
So in Week 12, Kelly decided to change models. To add more protection, she began wearing a Guardian Cap during games. He opened every one of those five straight games after returning, and this year he logged all but 314 offensive snaps combined. He’s been damn near perfect, aside from a disastrous second quarter of last week’s game. He crashed into Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke, resulting in yet another concussion.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell expressed profound appreciation for Kelly as a player. He underscored the amazing work ethic Kelly displayed in bouncing back from injuries sustained in a serious car accident.
“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 has been massive.” – Kevin O’Connell
In the months since our Kelly prediction, Kelly’s absence has become all but certain. Michael Jurgens is now set to take his place in the starting lineup this week against the Detroit Lions. The Vikings would be hard-pressed to find another player as vital to team-wide performance as their now-ex veteran center.
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