Colts sign starting center Ryan Kelly to 4-year contract extension

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts have signed starting center Ryan Kelly to a four-year contract extension.

Financial terms of the deal were not immediately available but ESPN reported the deal was for $50 million and included $34 million in guaranteed money. That would make Kelly the highest-paid center in the league.

Kelly recently told reporters he intended to focus on preparing for Indy’s season opener Sept. 13 at Jacksonville while his agent worked out the details for a new contract. Kelly was about to enter the final year on his rookie contract and could have become an unrestricted free agent next winter. Now he’s signed through 2024.

He was selected to his first Pro Bowl last year after starting 16 games for one of the NFL’s top offensive lines.