The Vikings Keep Throwing Chin Music at Brian O’Neill
Back in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings did tremendously well when opting for Pittsburgh’s Brian O’Neill in the late 2nd. He has since been a fantastic player who is rightly regarded as a cornerstone player.
Is that soon to change?
Recent seasons have seen the Vikings investing in the offensive line. Last year, the move was to launch a total renovation of the interior offensive line. Welcoming all of LG1 Donovan Jackson (1st Round), C1 Ryan Kelly (FA), and RG1 Will Fries (FA) meant that the front five was going to be formidable. The issue? Some combination of injury, underperformance, and a poor approach to the offense’s play calling.
The crew is now largely similar moving into 2026. Mr. Kelly has been subtracted, stepping away from football altogether due to retirement. Blake Brandel is the leader in the clubhouse for the starting center job as continuity reigns.
Any chance, though, that the upcoming season is the final one for Mr. O’Neill in the Twin Cities?
The Vikings, Brian O’Neill, & The Evolving OL
The veteran can still play. However, Minnesota has made an effort to reinforce the tackle depth.
Back in March, the decision was to opt for Buffalo’s Ryan Van Demark. Doing so signalled the end of Justin Skule as the main backup at offensive tackle. Taken in isolation, the Van Demark deal is about the OT3 spot and little else. Good chance, folks, that that perspective still has plenty of merit.
But then there was the decision to choose OT Caleb Tiernan in the 2026 NFL Draft. Doing so has some importance both now and in the future.
Many draft nerds felt as though Tiernan should have gone much higher than No. 97. Consider what Lance Zierlein had to say in his scouting report: “Highly experienced college tackle who is likely to kick inside due to a lack of length that affects his protection projection. Tiernan is tall but carries the denseness of frame and core strength of a guard. Feet feature good initial quickness and he takes excellent angles on the move. He often finds early positioning advantages as a base blocker but lacks the anchor and play strength to consistently fortify/sustain. Leaky edges in pass pro will be less concerning with smaller spaces to patrol, while his punch timing and lateral quickness provide advantages. ‘Solid’ feels like the ceiling for Tiernan as a guard/swing tackle who can eventually elevate into a starting role.”
Plenty of optimism within that assessment even if there’s some skepticism about how high the rookie’s upside is. Mr. Zierlein knows far more about draft prospects than yours truly, but it’s not hard to see why Minnesota holds the newcomer in high regard.
Tiernan is a 6’8″ monster with impressive athleticism and compete. So, too, is he defiant in his insistence that he can play despite criticisms about his arm length (or lack thereof). Similarly notable is that he has spent plenty of time watching Brian O’Neill as someone who grew up watching NFC North football. Quite possibly, Tiernan will be O’Neill’s replacement in the future.
Rolling into 2026, Brian O’Neill is the locked-in starter at right tackle. His cap charge sits at a beefy $23,115,657 (OTC). Cutting him (not going to happen) means freeing north of $19 million whereas an extension can free beyond $14 million.
Is that extension still going to happen? Many thought the Vikings would do a deal already (myself included), but Brian O’Neill is moving into his final season under contract.
Very little drop off, if any at all, has been evident in O’Neill’s game. What’s worth noting, though, is that he’s going to turn 31 in September and has had some injuries in recent seasons. Partnering those basic ideas with being expensive at least opens the possibility of the Vikings moving on, especially since the roster boasts possible replacements.
The NFL truly is a place where actions speak louder than words. Extending O’Neill would silence a lot of the external chatter. Indeed, that would be a tangible action that clarifies Minnesota’s intention to continue working with the veteran right tackle.
On the other end of things has been the tangible decisions that have been taken. Minnesota made it a priority to bring in Ryan Van Demark, made evident in the aggressive RFA contract. There was then the real decision to draft a young, huge offensive tackle who can sit for a season behind Minnesota’s well-established starters.
Another sneaky detail: Walter Rouse is still in town. He appears to be pretty far down the depth chart after getting scooped up in the 6th of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he’s on the roster competing.
Combined, that’s a trio of OT options who are all pressing on O’Neill.
Of course, there’s the possibility that one of those OTs starts pushing Christian Darrisaw for work, but that’s harder to foresee given the LT1’s youth, upside, and contract that extends for many more years. Indeed, Darrisaw just saw his deal restructured, pushing cap charges into the future. Does it make sense to push money into the future before then cutting him?
Brian O’Neill, 30, stands at 6’7″ and weighs 310 pounds. He remains a rugged, athletic player who is far better than given credit for within league-wide assessments of top tackles. There’s zero debate about his starting job for the upcoming season but there’s plenty of in-house competition thereafter.
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