The Revamped Vikings OL That Never Was
The Minnesota Vikings invested big in the offensive line heading into the 2025 season, with three new faces set to comprise the interior of the OL. However, the expected revamp just never materialized.
Minnesota already had a couple of high-quality tackles on the books in the form of Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill.
Minnesota paid for stability up front, then lost it quickly, leaving McCarthy and the run game operating behind patchwork combos.
The interior of the OL was a different story and had long been seen as a significant weakness of the team. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah sought to rectify that problem last offseason by signing Ryan Kelly and Will Fries in free agency and drafting Donovan Jackson in the first round of the 2025 draft.
The Vikings’ Offensive Line Revamp Fell Apart
The moves looked good, but with a hint of risk. You never know if a first-round rookie will pan out, and Kelly and Fries came to Minnesota from Indianapolis on the back of injury-hit seasons. The Vikings signed the veteran center, Kelly, to a two-year, $18 million contract — a short-term answer at the position. At the same time, Fries was signed to a hefty five-year, $88 million contract on the back of a breakout season that lasted only five games before being ended due to a fractured right tibia.
Still, I was optimistic that this could be the best Vikings OL we had seen in some time and would give the team’s QB, JJ McCarthy, the best chance of a successful first season. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way, largely due to one major factor.
Decimated By Injury
We didn’t see the projected starting five Vikings linemen on the field together until Week 12, and the only other time it happened was Week 14. Fries was the only one to appear in all 17 games, while O’Neill and Jackson both played in 14. O’Neill battled through knee and heel injuries throughout the season. Jackson played through a wrist injury early in the season before eventually having an operation, but he only missed a couple of games. He missed one game later in the season with a knee injury.
Darrisaw wasn’t ready to start the season due to the knee injury that ended his 2024 season early. He was back in Week 3, but the knee injury lingered, and his season was shut down after Week 14 as he was put back on injured reserve. Kelly only played in eight games because of three separate concussions. With a history of concussions before coming to Minnesota, the veteran center, who turns 33 before the 2026 season starts, may be thinking about his future in the game.
The Future for the Vikings OL
The first thing the Vikings’ OL needs for next season is better health. Between them, the five starters missed 22 games in the 2025 season, excluding games in which players were knocked out by injury. Four of the five should return in 2026, with Kelly the one in doubt.
Blake Brandel and Michael Jurgens deputized for Kelly in 2025, but neither did enough to claim the definite starter role in 2026. Minnesota may have to look again this offseason.
When all the linemen return for training camp this year, they will find a new coach ready to take them through their paces. Chris Kuper’s contract expired, and the OL coach won’t be back.
Kuper’s coaching ability has been under scrutiny, particularly after former second-round pick Ed Ingram looked like a much better player since leaving Minnesota for the Houston Texans. The top brass clearly felt he wasnt doing enough. We await news of who the new Vikings OL will be.
With around $80 million against the salary cap from the Vikings OL starters in 2026, if Kelly is good to play. The team will expect top-level play from the group, but first, everyone needs to get healthy.
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