Chad Kelly has had a troublesome career arch in football. Once a blue-chip four-star prospect set to be a Clemson Tiger and potential replacement for Deshaun Watson, he found himself at East Mississippi Community College after leaving the team due to conduct detrimental to it. He quickly set the JUCO ranks on fire to the tune of 47 touchdowns to six interceptions in a 12-0 season.
After E.M.C.C, Kelly transferred to Ole Miss, where he dominated his first season. In 2015, he threw for 4,042 yards and 31 touchdowns to 13 interceptions on a 65.1% completion clip. He won the Sugar Bowl, then the wheels fell off.
Shortly into 2016, he tore his ACL and meniscus. The NFL then rescinded his offer to the combine for his prior conduct.
The Denver Broncos selected Kelly at No. 254 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft — the last pick. In his first season, he was placed on injured reserve due to a wrist injury. Kelly played one game as a Bronco, taking one snap (a kneel) before his release due to an arrest from first-degree criminal trespassing. At that point, his NFL career was in doubt.
But, the Indianapolis Colts decided to take a gamble on the quarterback with off the field issues and an injury history. After signing, the NFL suspended him two games for his arrest in 2018.
Skeptics about Kelly's long-term potential in the NFL are in abundance. But, he began to shut them up in his first preseason game as a Colt on Thursday. Entering the game as the third-string quarterback — behind Jacoby Brissett and Phillip Walker — Kelly brought excitement to a snoozefest exhibition matchup against the Buffalo Bills, where his uncle Jim Kelly played for his NFL Hall of Fame career.
Kelly finished the exhibition game with 121 yards on 13 of 19 passing, without throwing an interception. For good measure, he recorded four runs for 53 yards (team-high) and a touchdown.
Kelly's performance caught the eye of his head coach Frank Reich, who backed up Jim Kelly in Buffalo for many years.
The coach said, via Colts Wire's Kevin Hickey:
“Chad I thought really had a nice night. He made some plays. As you guys know, the touchdown run was not a called quarterback run. It was something he instinctively saw and did. He had a gut feeling and he saw something and he took advantage of it. So good by him and he made a couple good throws with people bearing down in the pocket. So good stuff by both of them, but also a lot of room for improvement as well.”
The touchdown run Reich mentions was a read-option initially intended to go to the running back. But, Kelly made an adjustment stemming from a correct read of the edge closing in. The result was a 33-yard touchdown scamper and the Colts' offensive highlight of the night.
Chad Kelly for six ‼️ #INDvsBUF
📺 @Fox59 | @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/Oh41ImWvTu
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 9, 2019
Kelly's legs got his lone score, but his arm kept the ball moving. He led the Colts to a 79-yard, 16-play drive that finished in a field goal. The quarterback made a few tough throws with pressure draped over him and threw efficiently. The culmination of his performance was his best as a pro, potentially proving that he belongs.
He must continue to impress to secure a roster spot on the Colts as the No. 3 behind Andrew Luck and Jacoby Brissett. Phillip Walker has the edge in the competition, despite a poor preseason performance, as he's outperformed Kelly in training camp.
Nonetheless, Kelly's 2019 debut brought nothing but rave reviews.
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