Dalton Risner of the Denver Broncos walks the red carpet before the NFL Honors awards special at the Phoenix Convention Center on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK.
Amid the last few weeks, Minnesota Vikings fans have wondered what might happen with offensive guard Dalton Risner in the form of making the 53-man roster as a starter or backup player — or sitting on the outside looking in via roster cut.
Risner hasn’t participated in the Vikings’ preseason games or practices lately, reportedly nursing a back injury. And that ailment directly correlated to his 2024 fate this week: Risner is headed to injured reserve.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted Monday, just one day before the Vikings trim their roster from 91 players to 53: “Vikings are placing offensive lineman Dalton Risner on IR. He will be eligible to come back after four games.”
The timeline is encouraging, at least per the Schefter tweet, with Risner able to return in October. If he’s all healed up, he could eye a starter’s role, depending on the early-season performances from Blake Brandel and Ed Ingram.
Risner’s IR stint also frees up a precious roster space for Minnesota, with roughly eight semi-high-profile players straddling the bubble. Thankfully, Vikings fans will learn the bubble fate of all players at or before 3:00 p.m. CST on Tuesday.
All summer last year, Vikings faithful pounded the table for then-free-agent guard Dalton Risner. In September, Minnesota’s front office finally obliged, adding the veteran lineman on a one-year deal. He stole folks’ hearts with his performance and lovable persona, but when the 2024 offseason rolled around, Risner didn’t initially re-sign with the Vikings until May 2024. Fans rejoiced, but then Risner’s summer bent underwhelmingly, mainly because of the injury.
Risner’s overall PFF grade of 57.1 didn’t set records, but his 67.4 pass-blocking score was music to the ears of Vikings fans. For years — arguably a decade — Vikings enthusiasts asked for a competent pass-blocking guard or two, and the wish was granted in 2023 with the aforementioned Ingram and Risner’s midseason addition.
When the 2023 season wrapped up and former left guard Ezra Cleveland was long gone via trade to the Jacksonville Jaguars, most Vikings fans believed Risner would re-sign in Minnesota after a successful first campaign. But then March, April, and most of May hit — with crickets. Meanwhile, Risner hired superagent Drew Rosenhaus in March, a sign that he wanted to avoid last year’s weird silence. The Rosenhaus plan came to fruition in May but encountered a hiccup with the recent IR trip.
If Risner’s recovery trends positively, he’ll be eligible to rejoin the team in Week 5 — a London date with the New York Jets.
Risner signed a one-year deal worth up to $2.4 million this season.
All signs point to Ingram at right guard this year, the spot Risner battled for at training camp.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.