Colts owner Jim Irsay says Ryan Kelly is a priority. Kelly said team told him he wasn’t

WESTFIELD — Colts owner Jim Irsay sounded hopeful that center Ryan Kelly will ultimately remain in Indianapolis after this season.

Kelly, who is the team’s longest-tenured player and headed into the final year of the four-year, $50 million extension he signed in 2020, opened training camp by saying the franchise did not see an extension as a priority before the end of this season.

Irsay struck a different tone in his meeting with local media at training camp Sunday.

“We love Ryan,” Irsay said. “A guy like Ryan’s always a priority. You just love him as a person, and he’s a talented player, he’s been to Pro Bowls. … No question, a Pro Bowl center is a priority.”

Kelly, 31, has made four Pro Bowls in the past five seasons, bouncing back after the offensive line’s struggles in 2022 by making the Pro Bowl a year ago.

“We made it known that we wanted to stay, and that we wanted to have an extension,” Kelly said at the opening of camp. “They didn’t see it as part of their priority.”

Faced with a similar decision on defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, the Colts extended the team’s defensive leader with a two-year, $46 million extension this summer that keeps Buckner in Indianapolis through the 2026 season.

But Kelly has dealt with at least three concussions in his career, and Indianapolis drafted Wisconsin center Tanor Bortolini in the fourth round of April’s draft.

“Every case is different,” Colts general manager Chris Ballard said after Kelly made his comments. “I think one thing we’ve proven since we’ve been here is we’re really to players that have been good players. I think that will work itself out over time.”

The Colts did bring back nearly all of the players who reached free agency last season, signing 11 of its 15 free agents to come back to Indianapolis, including stars in Kelly’s position, heading into their third NFL contract like nose tackle Grover Stewart, cornerback Kenny Moore II and middle linebacker Zaire Franklin.

Even if Kelly makes it to free agency, he could end up reaching his ultimate goal, to continue playing in Indianapolis.

“I hope that things work out well, and I know Chris is talking with the agent,” Irsay said. “We’re hopeful.”