Longtime Colts player shared a heartfelt goodbye to the team and the city of Indianapolis
Free agency has brought multiple notable new faces to the Indianapolis Colts. But the Colts also saw their longest-tenured player depart this offseason. Ryan Kelly says farewell to the Colts and the city of Indianapolis after signing with the Vikings in free agency The Colts drafted Kelly in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. […]
Free agency has brought multiple notable new faces to the Indianapolis Colts.
But the Colts also saw their longest-tenured player depart this offseason.
Ryan Kelly says farewell to the Colts and the city of Indianapolis after signing with the Vikings in free agency
The Colts drafted Kelly in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He's spent the last nine seasons with the team and was the longest-tenured Colt on last year's roster. He appeared in 121 games during his time in Indianapolis and started in all of them.
Anytime a player spends so much time with one team, there will be an attachment to the city and the franchise as a whole. This makes him leave this offseason emotional for so many involved, but none more than Kelly. And Kelly shared a short but heartfelt goodbye via social media.
"Thank you Indy. 9 years of memories with people and players I’ll forever call family. I loved every year I got to play in this city and for this organization. Forever a special place in mine and my families heart."
– Ryan Kelly via X
The Colts' official account posted a video tribute honoring Kelly, in which you can watch under Kelly's post linked above. The team's owner, Jim Irsay, also posted a personal goodbye and thanked Kelly and his family for their time with and their impact on the Colts and Indianapolis.
"It's been an honor to watch Ryan represent the Horseshoe and he will forever be a part of the Colts family. Ryan is the only center our franchise has ever selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. And he developed into an All-Pro and Pro Bowl player over nine seasons. As great as he was on the field, Ryan, along with his wife Emma. Made just as big of an impact off the field. They've used their platform to advocate for families and bring awareness to count the kicks and concerns of police survivors in addition to other community initiatives. Their courage, strength, and resilience have been an inspiration to so many. We will always have a special place in our hearts for Ryan, Emma, Mary Kate, Ford, Duke, and Stella Kelly."
– Jim Irsay via X