Colts backup quarterback Chad Kelly has had a checkered football career, but he made the most of an opportunity in the preseason on Thursday night.
Playing in Buffalo, where his uncle Jim Kelly was a Hall of Fame quarterback, Kelly completed 13 of 19 passes for 121 yards, and also added 53 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Colts head coach Frank Reich, who was Jim Kelly’s longtime backup in Buffalo, caught up with Jim after the game and then praised Chad for the way he has worked this year.
“I was happy for Chad, coming home to Buffalo,” Reich said. “It was nice that he played well and did some good things that second half. Chad has practiced very well. He and [backup quarterback Phillip Walker] have both practiced well. It was good for Chad to come back after everything he’s been through. He’s been A-plus in every way in the locker room so I was glad he had such a good night.”
Kelly has had more than his share of off-field issues, which included getting kicked off the team at Clemson in 2014 for violating team rules, getting arrested later that year for an incident that led to a guilty plea to disorderly conduct, and getting cut by the Broncos after a trespassing arrest. The Colts may be giving Kelly his last chance, but it’s to Kelly’s credit that he’s making the most of it.