Two Offensive Line Coach Options Emerge for the Vikings
The news dropped at the end of last week that Chris Kuper wouldn’t be returning for the 2026 season, which means that the Minnesota Vikings are in the market for a new offensive line coach.
2 Early Candidates Come into Focus for Vikings’ OL Coach Search
Minnesota invested heavily in the offensive line last season but didn’t see the performance jump they hoped for, as four of the five OL starters were plagued by injuries.
The new man will have some serious talent to work with should the Vikings’ OL be healthier in the next season, but what are the options for a new coach?
Some teams will have new head coaches for the 2026 season. New HCs will often bring in some of their own guys, which means coaches like Frank Smith and Butch Barry (Dolphins) and Pat Meyer (Steelers) may become available. Offering someone a promotion, like Rams assistant OL coach Zak Kromer, is another option. Kromer worked with Kevin O’Connell in LA, so there should be a relationship in place.
Two candidates are readily available right now who make sense for the Vikings’ radar.
Keith Carter
Keith Carter was the Kuper’s assistant in Minnesota during the 2025 season. Carter, 43, has 20 years of coaching experience. He had been the OL coach for the Tennessee Titans and the New York Jets for the previous six seasons, making him an impressive get as an assistant. Perhaps the plan was always for the potential of a future promotion with Kuper in the last year of his contract.
Carter had a good run in Tennessee before he was part of a coaching exodus in 2023. A move to the Jets proved disappointing; it seems everyone who goes there ends up disappointed. The Vikings have had a year to get a good look at Carter and should know what he has to offer as a coach, and be in a good position to decide whether he should be the man to lead the OL group.
Dwayne Ledford
One name the Vikings would have been excited about getting for the job was Bill Callahan, one of the league’s best OL coaches, who followed Kevin Stefanski from Cleveland to Atlanta. That made Dwayne Ledford suddenly available, the man who has been the Atlanta Falcons’ OL coach since 2021 and the run game coordinator for the last two seasons — and an improved run game remains an area Minnesota must improve.
Helping to produce a good OL and rushing attack in Atlanta, Ledford will be highly sought after. Minnesota should already be making inquiries, and if they can get secure services, it would be an excellent first addition of the offseason. To date, there has been no solid indication that the Vikings or anyone else is in for Ledford, but there will be. It’s one for Vikings fans to monitor.
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