Former three-time Pro Bowl center for the Indianapolis Colts Ryan Kelly has been with several QBs and head coaches through his eight seasons as an anchor in the trenches. However, it seems like Kelly has found his footing in a big way in 2023 under new head coach Shane Steichen.
He voiced his appreciation for Steichen in an interview with Good Morning Football ’s Peter Schrager.
“His true passion is to be a football coach... You can see it in the way that we play the game and the way the teammates talk about each other," Kelly said of Steichen.
In the wake of a shaky 2022 season where Indy finished 4-12-1, Kelly is one of the best centers in the game so far through the 2023 season.
Currently, per Pro Football Focus, Kelly has posted nothing but Pro Bowl-level grades through his eight games played this year. Below are the notable metrics:
- Overall Offensive Blocking Grade: 81.2
- Overall Pass Blocking Grade: 79.2
- Overall Run Blocking Grade: 81.6
- Sacks Allowed/Snaps: 0 sacks/490 snaps taken
As the numbers showcase, Kelly is back and in better form than the league has seen in recent memory. Given that the Colts' offensive line has fluctuated lineups with injuries most of the season, they’ve still been able to stay afloat, and backup center Wesley French has been good in relief of Kelly (concussion).
Steichen clearly has this offense believing in his scheme and goals for the Colts franchise. With Tony Sparano Jr. being a direct hire from Steichen, it’s been a fantastic match between Sparano and this Colts' offensive line, bringing life back to the protection that was nearly unstoppable not long ago.
Steichen, per one of Kelly’s praises, has held this team accountable for its mistakes and holds a standard of performance that the roster respects.
With the final six games being nearly all “must-wins,” Kelly and his counterparts will need to keep Gardner Minshew clean as much as possible to keep Indy's playoff hopes alive in a Conference that’s still wide open.
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