Vikings C Ryan Kelly Announces Retirement

March 6, 2026

Vikings’ veteran C Ryan Kelly announced on X that he is retiring from the NFL after 10 years in the league.

10 seasons. What an incredible ride it was. I was blessed to be around some of the greatest people this sport has to offer. I always wanted to leave each place better than how I found it and with that I can hang my hat. Forever grateful for my family and brothers! Cheers pic.twitter.com/LzliGJ2wOK

— Ryan Kelly (@ryan_kelly70) March 6, 2026

Kelly was entering the final year of his two-year contract with the Vikings and was set to earn a base salary of $7.89 million in 2026.

Kelly, 32, is a former first-round pick by the Colts back in 2016 out of Alabama. He played out the fourth year of his four-year, $10.45 million rookie contract and made a base salary of $1.4 million for the 2019 season.

The Colts picked up Kelly’s fifth-year option for the 2020 season, which paid him a base salary of $10.35 million. He then signed a four-year, $50 million extension with Indianapolis.

Testing the free agent market, Kelly signed a two-year, $18 million deal with the Vikings in March of last year.

In 2025, Kelly appeared in and started eight games for the Vikings at center.