Former Colts starter quietly wrecks Bears in Vikings debut

In recent years, the Indianapolis Colts’ offensive line has been one of the team’s greatest strengths. However, some big changes were made to that unit during the 2025 offseason after the rest of the NFL recognized the talent in Indianapolis.

The Colts lost two key offensive linemen in free agency, and both were poached by the same team. General Manager Chris Ballard was hesitant to pay up to re-sign veteran center Ryan Kelly and 2021 draft pick Will Fries. The Vikings were quick to jump on the opportunity to land the interior duo, as part of an aggressive $100 million push to solidify their offensive line.

After Minnesota’s season-opening win over the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, the Vikings clearly made the right choice. While Fries had a solid performance, Kelly was the real standout and was an absolute game-changer in the trenches. Based on Week 1 alone, Minnesota may have made one of the best free agent signings of the year.

Ex-Colts star Ryan Kelly was close to perfection in his first game with the Minnesota Vikings

Kelly has a long history in Indianapolis. Former GM Ryan Grigson selected him with the 18th overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. Kelly started from Day 1 and was a mainstay on the offensive line for nine years. Until his exit, Kelly was the longest-tenured member of the Colts’ roster. During his time in Indianapolis, Kelly racked up four Pro Bowl and two second-team All-Pro selections.

Despite Kelly’s nearly decade-long career with the Colts, the team had real concerns over his age (now 32 years old) and injury history (missed seven games last year). Ultimately, Ballard chose not to re-sign Kelly after the 2024 season, opening the door for the Vikings.

Minnesota was instantly rewarded for its gamble as Kelly’s debut against a respectable Chicago defense was superb. Kelly’s Week 1 performance received a 76.4 PFF grade — third-highest on the team — including run- and pass-blocking scores of 74.5 and 78.8, respectively.

He also didn’t allow a single pressure all night against a pass rush that recorded the seventh-highest pressure rate in the league last season.

Kelly’s highlight reel against the Bears is a mesmerizing sight. On multiple occasions, he totally flattened a defensive lineman and gave rookie QB J.J. McCarthy much-needed time to complete a pass. Kelly’s rock-solid blocking was instrumental in moving the ball up the field, scoring touchdowns, and ultimately winning the game.

The Vikings signed Kelly to a two-year, $18 million deal. That means he’s just the eighth-highest paid center in the league this year. If Kelly keeps up this momentum and stays healthy, he could end up being a huge steal for Minnesota.

While Kelly turned back the clock against the Bears, the Indianapolis offensive line also had a great Week 1 performance, giving up just one sack against the Miami Dolphins. In fact, Kelly’s successor, 2024 fourth-rounder Tanor Bartolini, actually earned a higher PFF grade (subscription required) than him. His score of 77.6 was the fourth-highest among all centers.

The fact that Bartolini's only 23 years old — and still on his cheap rookie contract — makes him even more impressive.

At this point, both the Colts and Vikings should be feeling pretty good about their choices. There’s still a long way to go, but for now, this looks like a win-win situation.

Ex-Colts star Ryan Kelly was close to perfection in his first game with the Minnesota Vikings

He also didn’t allow a single pressure all night against a pass rush that recorded the seventh-highest pressure rate in the league last season.

The fact that Bartolini's only 23 years old — and still on his cheap rookie contract — makes him even more impressive.

At this point, both the Colts and Vikings should be feeling pretty good about their choices. There’s still a long way to go, but for now, this looks like a win-win situation.

Texans Planning Bigger Role for Nick Chubb

Expect to see some more Nick Chubb in the Houston Texans' offense after a solid Week 1 showing.

Following Houston's season opener loss vs. the LA Rams, 9-14, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans was still impressed by what he saw from Chubb in his debut since signing in June. In all, Chubb finished with 13 carries for 60 yards on the ground, averaging 4.6 yards a carry and leading the way in touches throughout the running back room.

And moving forward into the year, Ryans says he wants to lean on Chubb a bit more in the backfield.

"I think Chubb ran the ball really well," Ryans said in an interview with Texans Radio. "We tried to mix it up with the backs– got Woody some touches, Dameon [Pierce]– we're going to try to lean in with Chubb a little bit more."

"He deserves it. He’s shown that he continues to get better as the game went on. You saw him running stronger, finishing plays in a physical manner. So, we've got to get him going a little bit more, and I think he can really help us."

Chubb has seemingly made a super strong impression in the Texans' building since arriving on his one-year, $5 million deal in the offseason, and without Joe Mixon in the fold as he deals with a foot injury that has placed him on the Injured Reserve for at least the first four weeks of the year, the door has opened for Chubb to have some major responsibility in this scoring unit.

Chubb sits in the Texans' running back room alongside veteran Dameon Pierce, rookie Woody Marks, and team captain Dare Ogunbowale to share the workload with– certainly a group that faced a fair share of questions before the season, of just how the responsibilities would be divided in the backfield.

But, as Chubb continues to prove he's healthy from last season and the most productive guy in the room, Ryans clearly wants to get the ball in his hands in the run game while they deal with Mixon's absence– however long that may be– and bank on his physicality and consistent improvements to be a driving force in their work on the ground.

Chubb has reportedly been consistent and hard-working for the Texans dating back to training camp, has clear respect in the locker room from teammates and the coaching staff, and of course, has a proven track record in the league of being one of the better runners of the football in recent history while at his peak production.

That doesn't mean you won't see guys like Pierce, Marks, and Ogunbowale get some occasional reps their way as well, but if Ryans' comments prove true, we could very well be looking at the start of Chubb being a real bellcow in Houston.

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