Vikings Training Camp Begins with Shocking Injury Twist
New Minnesota Vikings offensive guard Will Fries broke his leg last season after five games of breakout performance.
The Vikings opened training camp with an injury update that was quite remarkable. It involved a newcomer to the team, and it’s all smiles about his outlook.
A member of the Indianapolis Colts at the time, his former employer allowed him to walk to free agency, and Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pounced, handing Fries $88 million over the next five seasons.
And because of the tibia injury, fans wondered if Fries would be a full go for Week 1 at the Chicago Bears.
At the commencement of training camp, that answer looks rather close to yes.
The Vikings’ Fancy New RG Is Trending in the Right Direction
Momentum suggests that Will Fries will be ready for Week 1.
New OL Will Fries Is Evidently Ready to Go
Lindsey Young of Vikings.com explained this week, “While Darrisaw will ease back in a little slower, Fries is nearly ready for full-go. O’Connell explained Fries has been fully cleared medically; now, it’s just ‘a matter of ramping him up football-wise’ as a newcomer to Minnesota’s offensive system. Positive news for the timetables of Darrisaw and Fries has an impact on the Vikings entire team — and certainly on J.J. McCarthy, who’s readying for his first season as Minnesota’s starting quarterback.”
“The 22-year-old will only benefit from an offensive line boasting consistency and experience out of the gate. That includes Darrisaw and Fries returning from injury, Ryan Kelly bringing vet know-how from Indy and Brian O’Neill continuing to be an anchor in the position room and on the line at right tackle.”
That’s about as positive as it could possibly get for Fries’ injury recovery.
O’Connell also told reporters about Fries, “Then he’ll assume, hopefully, a full allotment of reps here.”
Fries’ Fractured Tibia Last Year Caused Initial Mystery
Fries broke his leg in a Week 5 game, a loss, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. A fractured tibia is obviously serious, so when Minnesota took the plunge for his services in free agency, folks wondered if his recovery would bleed into the regular season.
Couple that question with the Vikings’ reputation for slow-rolling injury recoveries out of an abundance of caution, and all onlookers could do was “wait and see.”
Well, as training camp has arrived, Fries is in a wonderful spot and should be ready for the bright lights of Monday Night Football on September 8th.
A New Expectation for Week 1
Thanks to Young’s reporting and O’Connell’s positive comments, the new expectation is that Fries should very much be ready for the Chicago Bears in 6.5 weeks.
Otherwise, Fries would’ve been tossed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list like his teammates, tight end Gavin Bartholomew and outside linebacker Chaz Chambliss.
Yet, that didn’t happen for Fries — or Christian Darrisaw — meaning Vikings’ summer operations are off to a terrific start.
Minnesota’s New OL
Because of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s emphasis on the offensive and defensive trenches this offseason, Minnesota has a brand new OL fivesome heading into 2025.
Barring injury or surprise promotion, these men should start in September
—— Christian Darrisaw (Left Tackle)
—— Donovan Jackson (Left Guard)
—— Ryan Kelly (Center)
—— Will Fries (Right Guard)
—— Brian O’Neill (Right Tackle)
More on Will Fries
If you’re just returning to Vikings football for the 2025 campaign and don’t know much about Fries, the aforementioned Young provided some biographical intel a few months ago.
She wrote, “Fries was born on Staten Island, New York, but later relocated with his family to Cranford, New Jersey, where he played prep football at Cranford High School. Fries played both offensive and defensive line; he helped lead the Cougars to the Mid-State 38 Conference Championship in 2014 and North 2 Group 3 State Championship in 2015.”
“He was rated a four-star prospect by Rivals and a three-star prospect by ESPN, 247Sports and Scout. Throughout his college and NFL playing career, Fries has used his platform for good. He teamed up with Uplifting Athletes while prepping for his Penn State Pro Day, encouraging people to pledge a dollar amount per bench press rep in support of rare disease research.”
The Vikings also signed Fries’ buddy and teammate from the Colts, center Ryan Kelly.
Young added, “Fries also has been a consistent participant in the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign, using custom-painted kicks to raise awareness for a variety of issues. He has promoted the Tunnels to Towers Foundation in support of first responders; Veterans of Foreign Wars; and The Headstrong Project, which provides confidential, stigma-free mental health treatment for the military community.”
“Fries proposed to his fiancée Isabella Therien in June 2024. Isabella is the daughter of former Philadelphia Flyer Chris Therien, and she also founded her own home improvement company.”
While Darrisaw is trending in a good place with his ACL recovery, fans should fully expect Fries to be ready for Week 1.
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