Rejected Vikings Starter Getting Shot with New Team

In 2025, the Minnesota Vikings new-look offensive line is projected to be much improved from anything that we have seen during the going on four-year tenure of head coach Kevin O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

The newly extended HC/GM duo made trench upgrades on both sides of the ball top priority at the start of the offseason. They paid off their offensive promises by signing bruising center, Ryan Kelly (32 y/o), his young stud teammate with the Colts, Will Fries (27 y/o) and 2025 No. 24 overall draft pick, Donovan Jackson.

While these additions were great news for Minnesota Vikings fans who have been begging their favorite NFL team to shore up the offensive line for years, it was not the best news for some of the o-linemen who made up the 2024 front-five.

Center Garrett Bradbury, who had spent his entire six-year career in Minnesota, was released and picked up by the New England Patriots. Left guard Blake Brandel, who entered 2024 training camp with a lot of optimism surrounding his future, was demoted to the Vikings’ second unit.

Then, there’s last year’s starting right guard, Dalton Risner. The Vikings let his contract expire, and never really looked his way again, especially after making their OL upgrades. Unfortunately for the 30-year-old who’s started 81 games in his six-year NFL career, there wasn’t a lot of interest being drummed up elsewhere, either.

Dalton Risner lands visit with OL desperate Cincinnati Bengals

As of today, in fact, Risner remains a free agent. Reminder – The NFL season starts in 2.5 weeks. But alas, it appears the former Kansas State standout and 2nd round draft pick of the Denver Broncos is about to get his best shot being on an NFL roster since the moment Minnesota’s 2024 season ended.

According to independent NFL insider, Jordan Schultz, Dalton Risner has landed a visit tomorrow with the Cincinnati Bengals, who desperately need help protecting Joe Burrow, especially at guard.

Sources: The #Bengals will be hosting veteran G Dalton Risner on a free agent visit tomorrow.

Risner has started 81 games in his career. Cincinnati has been looking for interior offensive line help. pic.twitter.com/rBJfDuptBw

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 18, 2025

If you are the Bengals, I’m a bit surprised this call didn’t happens sooner. Dalton Risner is far from a perfect offensive lineman, but if there’s anything we know he does well, it’s pass block, something Cincinnati has struggled to do since drafting Joe Burrow.

Former Minnesota Vikings guard will help protect Joe Burrow, at least…

Over at PFF, Risner’s splits between pass and run blocking are quite jarring. His grades in pass block have varied between 67.4 and 76.1 all six seasons of his career. His run block grades have come in between 50.0 and 63.2.

But his issues with run blocking only partially explain why Dalton Risner is still on the market this late in the offseason. Then again, that’s been his story since the Broncos let him walk after the 2022 season.

For whatever reason, something about Risner seemed to rub people at TCO Performance Center the wrong way, too. He’s always gracious and well-spoken during his media sessions, so it’s difficult to understand exactly what that “something” is, but it’s there.

Related: MN Vikings Provide Massive Injury News on Key Wideouts

This isn’t the only time Dalton Risner has been forced to wait this late into free agency. The Minnesota Vikings did just about everything within their power to avoid signing him two offseasons ago, waiting until after the season started (Sept. 18, 2023) to finally get a deal done.

Last offseason, he agreed to come back as a backup behind Ed Ingram, after Blake Brandel took his left guard job. Risner regained his starting status when Minnesota finally bailed on the Ingram project, midway through last season, allowing Risner to take back his starting status for the remaining 10 games.