Horseshoe Huddle

Colts Place Captain on IR, Rookie to Start

An Indianapolis Colts star is heading to injured reserve in the middle of the season.

Sean Ackerman

Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly (78) talks with Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson (56) on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, during a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly (78) talks with Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson (56) on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, during a game against the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

The Indianapolis Colts announced they have placed nine-year center Ryan Kelly on the injured reserve listed before a Week 10 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. The move comes after Kelly has lingered on the injury report for the past few weeks.

To fill his place in the starting lineup, the Colts will be starting rookie center Tanor Bortolini. Drafted in the fourth round of this year's NFL Draft, Bortolini has started two games along the offensive line this season. He was chosen out of the University of Wisconsin and may be the future replacement for Kelly when he chooses to leave the team.

Kelly has started in seven games for the Colts this year and has dealt with both Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco taking snaps at quarterback. The 4x Pro Bowl center first missed Weeks 4 and 5 with a neck injury, then sustained a calf injury against the Tennesee Titans. Now that he has landed on IR, he will miss at a minimum the next four weeks.

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

Before Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Kelly talked to the press about a conversation he held with Richardson regarding his "tap-out" against the Houston Texans. He told reporters that it wasn't the "standard" for the team but that nobody should question how hard he plays on the field. After that statement, Kelly had a poor performance against Minnesota, posting a 50.1 Pro Football Focus blocking grade.

Bortolini will be snapping the ball for Flacco in the final stretch of the season as an inexperienced blocker will get to learn from a veteran playcaller. In his few snaps, Bortolini has shown flashes of being a capable lineman who protects the pocket well.

The team also announced they have claimed safety Darren Hall from the waiver wire. Hall spent time with Indy's practice squad last season. His last action was with the Arizona Cardinals, though he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round in 2021.

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X, and subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.

Published
Sean Ackerman
SEAN ACKERMAN

Home/News