Indianapolis Colts Sign First-Round Pick Kelly to Rookie Contract
Well that didn't take long. Less than one week after selecting him with the 18th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts have signed center Ryan Kelly to his first NFL contract.
The center position has been a revolving door on the offensive line since Andrew Luck was picked first overall in the 2012 Draft. With Kelly in the fold, the team hopes he and Luck can form the same type of partnership Jeff Saturday and Peyton Manning had during their over ten years together. A concept many draft analysts believe can happen.
Since the implementation of the rookie wage scale, and the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement, signing rookies to their initial contracts isn't quite as long of a process as it used to be. While the team has not officially released the details of Kelly's contract, based on the scale, Kelly will get a four-year deal which will include a fifth-year option the team must decide on in the Spring of 2019. According to Indianapolis Star reporter, Stephen Holder, the deal should bring Kelly an annual salary of around $10.4 million, and a signing bonus just shy of $5.8 million.
Kelly won't have much time to celebrate this milestone in his career as the team's rookie minicamp opens Friday, with Kelly expected to attend.
[Source: Indianapolis Star]