Ryan Kelly, center for the Minnesota Vikings, recently was put on IR. He took his second concussion just a month into the 2025 NFL regular season. The decision taken on Saturday will outright ban Kelly from playing for at least four games. It casts a long shadow on his short term wellbeing and his longterm impact in the league.
Kelly, 32, returned to action last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers after missing a game due to his first reported concussion. Unfortunately for him, he would re-enter concussion protocol at halftime. This concerning trend marks the continuation of a dangerous pattern for one of football’s greatest innovators. He has experienced three documented concussions in his NFL career. The Vikings organization is prioritizing player health, and Coach Kevin O’Connell emphasized the importance of ensuring Kelly’s well-being.
“Clearly the health of our players is always the … beginning, middle and end. So we’ll totally defer to the doctors, and we’ll defer to the protocol, and ultimately, we’re going to want to make sure Ryan is in a good place. That’s not anything I particularly ever want to mess around with. We’ll be smart, and at the same time it’s definitely not my lane to weigh in on those things until the medical staff or we get to that place.” – Kevin O’Connell
This Sunday, the Vikings will face even more adversity as they prepare to take on the Cleveland Browns. They’ll be without three of their starters, one of them being Kelly. His top backup, Michael Jurgens, is out with a hamstring injury, putting further strain on a still-depleted offensive line. The Vikings ran out of good fortune, but they have no excuse. They signed rookie center Vershon Lee from their practice squad to back up Blake Brandel, who takes over for the ailing Kelly.
The injury to Kelly is a huge blow to the Vikings’ zone-heavy offensive scheme. His own experience and skills go a long way toward keeping the quarterback protected too. They aid in providing a consistent ground game. The uncertainty surrounding Kelly’s return only adds to concerns for the team’s overall performance moving forward.
As the Vikings continue to walk this tightrope, clearly they have Kelly’s continued health and future in the game at heart. The organization loves to win, but they are teaching that a player’s safety should always be the priority. With no certain date set for Kelly’s return, all fans and teammates can do is keep a close eye on things as they unfold.
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