Colts 'optimistic' Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly will play vs. Texans

The Indianapolis Colts were out of sorts throughout Sunday's 45-26 loss to the Tennessee Titans that dropped the Colts to 7-4 on the season and to seventh among the AFC's seven available playoff berths. 

One reason for Indianapolis' offensive woes was that Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly missed the contest because of a neck injury. According to Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star, head coach Frank Reich told reporters on Monday that he's "fairly optimistic" Kelly will be back in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Houston Texans (4-7). 

Reich added that he and his staff will continue to evaluate the 27-year-old throughout the week. 

The Colts rewarded Kelly for his first Pro Bowl campaign by making him the league's highest-paid center in early September via a contract extension that could keep him linked with the organization through the end of the 2024 season. 

Per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk, Kelly played nearly every offensive snap this year before encountering the setback. Rookie Danny Pinter, selected in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, started in place of Kelly against the Titans. 

The Texans have won three of four coming off their bye week and gave the 8-3 Cleveland Browns a real scare during a Nov. 15 road game that Cleveland won 10-7. Things get no easier for Indianapolis after the first Sunday of December, as the Colts travel to play the Las Vegas Raiders (6-5) on Dec. 13.