Vikings’ $18 Million Starter Facing Calls to Retire Amid Health Concerns
Minnesota Vikings starting center Ryan Kelly is at a career crossroads amid his 10th season in the NFL that could have him considering hanging it up for good.
Signed to a two-year, $18 million deal as part of the team’s overhaul of the offensive line in the offseason, Kelly sustained his second concussion in three games during a Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But his history with concussions is much more than this season. Since the 2023 season, Kelly has been diagnosed with five concussions.
Asked how many concussions he’s had in his entire playing career after his second concussion during the 2023 season, Kelly said “five or six.” That puts him at seven or eight by his count.
Many Vikings observers have expressed concern that Kelly needs to consider his long-term health and consider retirement, including Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller who made a strong plea on his postgame show after the Steelers loss.
“He just had a concussion two weeks ago. I am not a doctor, I am not evaluating him, I am not his family member. Retire,” Coller said. “This has got to be it. One of the best players of the decade. Phenomenal center. The games he was in, I was so impressed… Talked to him a handful of times. Incredibly smart dude, incredibly impessive person. Every person you talk to loves Ryan Kelly. Retire.”
Vikings C Ryan Kelly Addresses Potential Retirement After Concussion History With Colts
During the 2023 season, Kelly addressed the concerns with his health after he was diagnosed with a second concussion in Week 12 of the Indianapolis Colts‘ season.
“Yeah, you become 30 and you start thinking about things,’’ Kelly said in December 2023. “If it’s between playing football and when I’m 60 having dementia and all these things you see that can come from playing football, of course I’m going to look after myself and my family.
“It’s hard seeing some of these (retired) guys now. You have to be aware of your quality of life later.’’
The No. 18 overall pick of the 2016 draft, Kelly sustained his first concussion as a pro during the 2017 season and missed five games due to the head injury. The other two concussions he sustained during the 2023 season weren’t enough to keep him from earning his fourth Pro Bowl nod — but his livelihood after football is in jeopardy if he suffers any more head trauma.
“It certainly puts a seed of doubt in your mind,’’ Kelly said after his second concussion in 2023. “It’s a violent game and you’ve been playing it for a long time. Things add up.
“You can replace a knee and you can replace a hip,’’ “You’re not replacing your brain. I’ll try to play the game as long as I can. I’ll go out there and give everything I’ve got. If ultimately I have more concussions, I’ll make a decision then, whatever that is.’’
Kevin O’Connell Addresses Ryan Kelly’s Future
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates with Brian O’Neill #75 and Ryan Kelly #78 after a touchdown in the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 08, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.
The situation with Kelly is looking dire, and head coach Kevin O’Connell did not shrug off the concerns facing the Pro Bowl center.
“The health of our players is always the beginning, the end, and the middle of that conversation,” O’Connell said in his postgame news conference.
“So we’ll totally defer to the doctors and we’ll defer to the protocol. And then ultimately, we’re gonna want to make sure Ryan’s in a good place. That’s not anything I particularly ever want to mess around with, so we’ll be smart. Definitely not my lane to weigh in on those things until we get to that place.”
Raiders Urged to Reunite Impact Defender with Pete Carroll
The Las Vegas Raiders have seen mixed results on both sides of the football to start through the first month of the Pete Carroll era. The offense has stole the majority of the headlines with both Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty struggling on numerous occasions throughout the first four games of the season, but the defense hasn’t exactly blossomed under this new regime either.
After losing to Marcus Mariota and Caleb Williams in successive weeks, the Raiders are being urged to reunite Carroll with Seattle Seahawks CB Riq Woolen ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline.
Riq Woolen Named a Trade Option for Las Vegas Raiders
Justin Melo of Draft Network sees a path where Carroll could reunite with Seahawks CB Riq Woolen in the near future by suggesting a trade could make sense between Seattle and Las Vegas ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline.
Melo wrote, “Pete Carroll was the Seahawks’ head coach when Woolen was selected in the fifth round. Woolen thrived under his leadership, qualifying for the Pro Bowl as the co-interception leader as a late-round rookie. A reunion with Carroll by joining the Las Vegas Raiders would be beneficial for all parties involved. The 1-3 Raiders are struggling, but general manager John Spytek built the roster to compete this year.
The Raiders are currently giving up 228 passing yards per game, which ranks 23rd in the NFL. More importantly, the Raiders may be without CB Eric Stokes in the near future after he suffered a knee injury against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
Melo added, “Carroll acquired multiple ex-Seahawks this offseason, including Geno Smith and Jamal Adams. Carroll has always preferred big cornerbacks. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Woolen would arguably be the best cornerback in Vegas, with Eric Stokes and Kyu Blu Kelly struggling outside.”
Woolen has been a bit of a disappointment in 2025 after having a big impact his rookie year with 63 total tackles and six interceptions back in 2022. One could make an argument the reason the Seahawks aren’t 4-0 on the season was directly due to his poor play against the San Francisco 49ers in the season opener, where he allowed an explosive play to Ricky Pearsall and the go-ahead touchdown by Jake Tonges in the second half of their 17-13 Week 1 loss.
How Would Riq Woolen Fit into the Raiders Secondary?
Despite the struggles of Woolen in 2025, the UTSA product is the ideal fit for Pete Carroll’s defensive scheme and would prevent rookie Darien Porter from being pressed into extended playing time before he is ready.
To be fair, Porter has received a 74.4 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus on the season — but this grade has come on a small sample size of just 16 coverage snaps through his two games of action.
Woolen has been a full-time starter in the league and looked like a potential future All-Pro at the position early in his NFL career.
The Raiders‘ cornerback room likely isn’t the biggest concern on the roster through the first month of the 2025 NFL season, but does present intriguing upside for Las Vegas if Woolen can recapture his promising form under Pete Carroll during their time together in Seattle.
