On the OL, the front office signed two former Indianapolis Colts, 31-year-old center Ryan Kelly and 26-year-old guard, Will Fries. While those signings answered some serious questions on the offensive trenches, it also begged a few questions, like what the MN Vikings planned to do with 6-year starting center, Garrett Bradbury and 2022 2nd round pick, Ed Ingram. On Thursday afternoon, we got answers to both of those questions.

Minnesota Vikings trade Ed Ingram, set to release Garret Bradbury

First, news broke from NFL Network that the Vikings were trading 26-year-old Ed Ingram to the Houston Texans for a 6th round draft pick. Shortly after that, Adam Schefter (ESPN) reported that Kwesi & Co are trying to do the same with 2019 1st round pick, Garrett Bradbury, but that they plan to release the 29-year-old NC State alum, if a trade partner cannot be found.

Trade: #Vikings guard Ed Ingram is being traded to the #Texans, sources say, as Houston continued to rework their offensive line.

The former 2nd rounder from LSU is on the move, thanks in part to Minnesota spending big on OL in free agency. pic.twitter.com/exNF247ZOg

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2025

Minnesota is planning to release its 2019 first-round pick Garrett Bradbury unless a trade can be worked out, per sources.

Bradbury’s standing was altered after the Vikings signed former Colts Pro-Bowl center Ryan Kelly. pic.twitter.com/grjjLV747U

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2025

Garrett Bradbury has started all 88 games of his NFL career. He’s always had the mental capacity to be a really good center, but he’s just never had the strength and size to hold off the biggest, baddest defensive tackles, something that has regularly become a problem for the Minnesota Vikings during his career.

Last year, Bradbury finished the season with a 62.1 PFF grade (70.7 RBLK, 48.2 PBLK), grades that are extremely consistent with what he has shown his entire career. Garrett’s best season, according to PFF, was 2022, when he graded a 70.2 on offense, 72.4 RBLK and 67.1 PBLK.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Interested in Former OPOY

Ed Ingram is one of the most disappointing draft picks of the 2022 class, which is saying something. Ingram has always had the talent and the size, but could never put it all together with the Minnesota Vikings. He is only 26-years-old, which probably tells us why Kwesi found it easier to get draft pick compensation for his services, than that of Garrett Bradbury’s.

In total, Ingram started 41 of the 48 games he played in purple. PFF hated him even more than Bradbury. In 2024, Ingram posted the worst PFF Grades of his career, with a 54.0 offense grade, 58.1 RBLK grade and 49.1 PBLK grade. During his three NFL seasons, Ingram never pushed his PFF grade over 59.5.

You can also bet that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will look to create additional cap space as he shuffles more players off the roster. Minnesota did a good amount of heavy lifting with much less last season. A former starting lineman could be among those sent packing.

Ed Ingram may be on the MN Vikings chopping block

Right now one of the most imperative places the Minnesota Vikings must fix this offseason is on the interior lines. Ed Ingram used to start at right guard for Kevin O’Connell, but The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis thinks he might be gone after being benched again this season.

“Minnesota’s offseason will revolve around revamping the trenches. Ingram is not a viable option if the Vikings are committed to vastly improved play. Cutting him makes sense.

The Vikings could save a minimum of about $3.3 million on the cap with the move. That number could actually increase, depending on whether Ingram receives a proven performance escalator. Minnesota already has close to $60 million in cap space for 2025, so this move is not a necessity. That said, the Vikings need to upgrade their interior offensive line, interior defensive line, cornerback and running back. More money to spend will help.”

Lewis on Ed Ingram (The Athletic)

The reality is that Ingram has now been benched in multiple seasons. The Vikings already need improved play and have determined he’s not part of that reality.

After being taken with a second-round pick in 2022, Ingram started all 17 games as a rookie. He was then bumped by Dalton Risner in 2023 and started just 15 games. Last season he played in 16 games, but drew just nine starts.

#Niners Maliek Collins (lined up over RG) with a really well timed swipe to beat Ed Ingram and move Darnold. Nick Bosa works all the way around the pocket for the cleanup sack pic.twitter.com/onbVMb7j9E

— NFL Shock (@NFLShock) September 18, 2024

Related: Vikings Allow More Time to Negotiate with Free Agent CB, Not QB…

The writing has been on the wall for a while now when it comes to Ingram. Minnesota danced around bringing Risner back, and even while slow-playing his ability to start, Ingram gave them no choice.

Despite being under contract for the 2025 season, there isn’t much reason to keep him around.

Vikings line changes don’t need to include holdovers

It’s great that Blake Brandel and Ed Ingram are under contract for 2025. It doesn’t mean they need to be part of the roster. The MN Vikings’ guards consistently lacked a push alongside center Garrett Bradbury.

Despite Aaron Jones rushing for a career-high 1,138 yards, he was stuffed in the red zone constantly. O’Connell has never been a coach that leans on the running game, but he can’t ignore it either.

Related: Vikings Had Another Staff Member Hired Away Recently

The Minnesota Vikings must figure out a new path forward at the guard positions. Both Brandel and Ingram came up short, and there’s no reason to put a young quarterback like J.J. McCarthy in behind them. Ingram has been given ample opportunity to figure it out, but it’s time to call a spade a spade.

Not only have they unofficially claimed their postseason spot in the seven-team NFC field, come January, but the Vikings remain just one game behind the Detroit Lions, stand atop both the North division, and the National Football Conference, with five games left to play.

Why was Ed Ingram a healthy scratch vs the Arizona Cardinals?

So all is good in Eagan, this week. But there was one peculiar pregame move from week 13 that deserved addressing, after Minnesota’s 10th win of the 2024 season. Why was left guard Ed Ingram, who had started 30-straight games leading up to his recent benching, a healthy inactive? Well, Kevin O’Connell was asked just that by media members, during his postgame press conference.

The head coach tried to make it very clear that Ingram’s healthy scratch had nothing to do with performance. Instead, KOC blamed Ed Ingrams inactive status on injury concerns at left tackle, where recently acquired Cam Robinson was dealing with an injury that had the Vikings worried he wouldn’t make it through Sunday’s contest vs the Cards.

Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell explains why Ed Ingram was a healthy scratch vs the Cardinals in week 13: pic.twitter.com/xh8BYvBLDb

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) December 2, 2024

“Cam Robinson did a hell of a job working through that foot [injury]. He was going to give it a go, but we wanted to make sure. We felt pretty stressed a little bit, in Chicago, only having one tackle up for the game, beyond Cam. So we wanted to get Rouse up. With that, we needed Dan Feeney, because he is one of our backup centers. So really, Jurgens and Ingram, both those guys. It was just the necessity of the numbers for the day. I wouldn’t read anything into it. Ed’s been doing a great job. I would anticipate, as we get healthy, and we can stack a full week for Cam together, I would anticipate Ed being back up. [His inactive status had] absolutely nothing to do with anything larger picture or anything like that.”

Kevin O’Connell postgame vs Cardinals on why (G) Ed Ingram was a healthy scratch

When Ed Ingram was a starter for the Minnesota Vikings, he was far and away the worst. The eye test showed it. His 54.0 PFF grade showed it. It didn’t take a football genius to see that his 5 sacks, 3 hits and 24 total pressures allowed were a huge problem for the Vikings’ offense.

Minnesota Vikings say one thing, but may do another this offseason

But KOC says not to worry about any of that. Yes, he was benched for all of those reasons. Whether you want to believe the smooth talking head coach or not, he says Ingram was inactive today because of Cam Robinson’s foot injury, and the possibility he might not make it through the game.

That made Ed Ingram, a guard, more expendable than other backup offensive linemen on roster, at positions like center and tackle. Should we believe O’Connell? For now, that is an individual decision. But time usually tells the real story, eventually.

Related: What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Crazy Comeback Win vs Cardinals

Ed Ingram was a 2022 2nd round draft pick. The 25-year-old has started 41 of the 43 games he has played as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. His rookie contract has one year remaining on it, after this season. But the Vikings could cut him for pretty much nothing, if the two sides decide a fresh start is best.

Seven Minnesota Vikings are inactive today vs the Cardinals, who have five inactives of their own. There is one major surprise for the Vikings. Now 2nd string right guard, Ed Ingram, is a healthy scratch.

Minnesota Vikings Inactives

• G Ed Ingram
• TE Josh Oliver
• S Jay Ward
• OL Michael Jurgens
• DL Levi Drake Rodriguez
• CB Dwight McGlothern
• QB Brett Rypien (emergency 3rd QB)

Arizona Cardinals Inactives

• TE Travis Vokolek
• WR Xavier Weaver
• OL Christian Jones
• OLB Julian Okwara
• DL Khyiris Tonga

Ed Ingram, who’s listed as a healthy scratch, is a surprise inactive. He lost the starting right guard job to Dalton Risner two weeks ago, but he’s been active and on the sideline for both matchups.

More Vikings vs Cardinals pregame read

• Cardinals vs Vikings Broadcast Map + TV Announcers and Referee Crew for Week 13
• Minnesota Vikings Can Pretty Much Clinch a Playoff Spot vs Cardinals
• Vikings Creeping Up NFL Power Rankings in Week 13

Josh Oliver and Jay Ward were ruled out on Friday. Left tackle Cam Robinson will make the start, after leaving last Sunday’s game with a foot injury. There was also early concern about Sam Darnold, who had to leave last week’s contest momentarily, after hurting his ankle vs the Bears.

It should be noted that newly-acquired quarterback Daniel Jones is on the practice squad and wasn’t eligible for inactive status. We do not know when, or even if Jones will be active on the Minnesota Vikings roster this season.

Without looking outside the organization, the Vikings have had one option to try improving their RG spot the last couple of weeks. In fact, 29-year-old career starter Dalton Risner told media members over a month ago, that he was 100% healed from the back injury that originally put him on the PUP list.

Minnesota Vikings finally starting Dalton Risner over Ed Ingram

But for whatever reason, head coach Kevin O’Connell was resistant to replacing Ingram with Risner… until today, vs the Titans. In week 11, Dalton Risner officially gets the start over Ed Ingram. The switch was first reported by media members watching warm-ups and Nissan Stadium about 30 minutes prior to kickoff. Moments later, the team confirmed it.

In pregame warmups, Dalton Risner is working at right guard in place of Ed Ingram. That's notable. Ingram has started all 41 games he has been active for since the Vikings made him a 2nd round pick in 2022. Missed 2 games b/c of injury in 2023.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) November 17, 2024

As previously noted, Dalton Risner publicly pleaded for the Vikings to activate him off the PUP list pretty much immediately after he became eligible, but they mostly maxed out his 21-day return window, instead. Then, when he did finally return to the active roster in week 9, Risner was on the sideline and Ed Ingram remained on the field. Week 10 came and went… same thing.

What does this move tell us?

What made the Vikings change their thinking in week 11? Tennessee has one of the best run defenses in football, and Dalton Risner is a terrible run blocker, so what gives? While Risner is knowingly brutal when run blocking, the former Denver Bronco 2nd round pick has been an above average pass blocker, throughout his career.

The other side of the coin, Ed Ingram, is pretty much the opposite. So what this move tells me is that Kevin O’Connell plans to air the offense out with Sam Darnold vs Titans. Why force something that won’t be there? Put in your best pass blockers and air it out.

The Minnesota Vikings moved some pieces around this offseason, inserting Blake Brandel at left guard, and giving up on 2023 starter, Dalton Risner. But after Risner hit an open market that lacked interest in his services, he crawled back to the Vikings and took a deal for backup money, hoping to earn a starting role.

Related: Another Minnesota Vikings Game Targeted as Prime Time Flex Candidate

Unfortunately, he dealt with injuries during training camp, and landed on the Physically Unable to Perform list, to start the 2024 season. That left the Vikings with no choice other than to start 2022 second round pick Ed Ingram, who is having the worst season of his unimpressive three-year career.

But, even when Risner has been healthy, the Minnesota Vikings have shown little interest in his services. They new they were weak on the interior OL last offseason, and they let Dalton walk anyway.

But Darnold isn’t the only overachiever on this roster. In fact, the one-word theme surrounding the Vikings’ 2024 season is probably “overachievers”. The defense has blossomed into one of the best in the league, under Brian Flores. Running back Aaron Jones has proven he still had plenty of gas left in his 29-year-old tank.

How good is the Minnesota Vikings offensive line?

But what about the Minnesota Vikings offensive line? Has it overachieved too, or does head coach Kevin O’Connell still have a major problem on the interior? Well, that’s a complex question to answer.

Statistics, advanced metrics and PFF grades tell part of the story. At the end of the day, though, judging OL play is difficult, no matter how trained of a football eye you have. The better question is probably, what do Minnesota Vikings coaches and front office members think?

Related: Minnesota Vikings Injury Report Relatively Clean to Start Week 11

Those are the opinions that matter most. And from the sounds of it, according to a piece that dropped Thursday morning, Alec Lewis (The Athletic) seems to think those who matter have mostly liked what they have seen so far from the Vikings OL.

Contract extensions incoming for Vikings OL?

In fact, it sounds like Kwesi and head coach Kevin O’Connell may be thinking about contract extensions for multiple players on the Vikings front-5. First up, Brian O’Neill, arguably the team’s best offensive lineman. The 29-year-old is under contract through 2026, but his cap hit reaches it’s high point in 2025, at $26 million.

His current contract situation makes O’Neill an easy extension candidate. He’ll be able do add more term and a lot more guaranteed cash. In return, the Vikings can bring down that massive $26M cap hit for next season.

Brian O’Neill isn’t the only offensive lineman the Vikings may be eyeing up for a possible extension, though. According to Lewis, both Garrett Bradbury and Blake Brandel may be on the docket too.

All five [Vikings o-linemen] are under contract through 2025, but their deals do not become guaranteed until the spring, meaning there is always the chance some adjustments could be made.

The most interesting names are on the offensive line: Brian O’Neill is a fixture on the offensive front and adores Minnesota, so a contract extension to reshuffle his year-over-year numbers is not out of the question. Garrett Bradbury and Blake Brandel are worthy of deeper discussions come spring.

Alec Lewis – The Athletic

Outside of the disaster that has been Ed Ingram, the Minnesota Vikings OL has mostly been a 2024 success story. The group is holding up better than it had in previous years, even after losing its best player, Christian Darrisaw, to a season-ending injury.

Related: NFL Insiders Debate a Possible Sam Darnold + Vikings 2025 Reunion

If Kevin O’Connell prefers continuity, which seems to be another theme with this o-line, then extending everyone but Ed Ingram makes a lot of sense.

• A) Keep David Quessenberry at LT
• B) Shift LG Blake Brandel over to LT; insert Dalton Risner at LG

With either of these two options, the right guard situation remains static, with Ed Ingram. Prior to Darrisaw’s season ending injury, there was mass speculation that Ingram’s days were numbered at right guard. That still appears to be the case, a reality that appears to have played a major role in the Vikings’ decision to acquire Robinson from the Jaguars, earlier this week.

Local beat writer says Ed Ingram’s poor performance factored into the trade

In the latest Access Vikings podcast, Ben Goessling (Star Tribune) stated that Ed Ingram’s poor performance was a large component in the decision to trade for Cam Robinson. They aren’t directly correlated, of course, since Ingram is a guard on the right side. Robinson will play left tackle.

Nonetheless, Tuesday’s trade allows the Minnesota Vikings to keep Blake Brandel at left guard. Then, with Dalton Risner now healthy, he will compete with and have an opportunity to usurp Ingram at right guard.

“Not being locked into Ed Ingram is not a small component of this deal, [it’s a large component]” regarding why the @Vikings traded for #Jaguars LT Cam Robinson, per @BenGoessling via @AccessVikings.

Goessling also says he’s heard Ingram is on a “short leash” and that Dalton… pic.twitter.com/avwqbV06hJ

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) October 31, 2024

“I think the not being locked into Ed Ingram is not a small component of this deal. I think it allows you to keep Blake Brandel at left guard and possibly you put Dalton Risner at right, whereas if you were gonna put Brandel at left tackle, Risner becomes your left guard. Ingram is still your right guard, which I don’t think would be the option they would prefer given some of the things we’ve heard about the short leash Ingram is on.

So yeah, I think it makes a lot of sense in that regard. And O’Connell said today about Reisner, we’ll probably see him in uniform, I think is what he said, sooner than later. So does that mean on the field?

Does that mean on the sideline? We’ll have to see. I tend to think, I mean, we’ve heard it, I think the chance of Risner being in the line up is strong at some point here, strong to quite strong.“

Ben Goessling (Star Tribune) via Access Vikings

This isn’t the first time Goessling has floated this idea out there either. Just the other week Goessling stated that Ingram was on a “short leash“. What is even more interesting is how he said the chances of Risner being in the starting line up is “quite strong” still at this point.

Looking ahead to who will be the Minnesota Vikings’ starting five offensive line players

In the short term, especially for Sunday night’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, it remains to be seen whether or not Robinson will make his debut. Kevin O’Connell stated in his Wednesday pressor that he was optimistic that he’ll have logged enough practice to make his debut Sunday. If that’s not the case, expect him to start the following Sunday.

Per @DaneMizutani, "the assumption is that [Cam] Robinson will be able to play when the @Vikings host the Indianapolis @Colts on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium." pic.twitter.com/uz2GoqOWS6

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) October 30, 2024

Regardless of when Robinson will make his debut in purple and gold, he’s your new starting left tackle this season. Brandel and Garret Bradbury will remain at left guard and center, respectively. Goessling seems tocontinue banging the drum that Ingram’s time is coming to an end. It’s likely Risner will be the starting right guard here soon rather than later.

Rounding out the offensive line will be long-time right tackle Brian O’Neill. Overall, the Minnesota Vikings’ are likely to have two new faces on the offensive line here soon. There’s obviously a significant downgrade at left tackle.

Related: NFL Trade Rumors: Another 2022 Minnesota Vikings Draft Pick May be Exiled by Deadline

Darrisaw is one of the best in the NFL at his position. However, there is a possibility that the Vikings’ offensive line upgrades at right guard, given Ingram’s struggles all season. In the end, we’ll see how this new offensive line will look like over the coming weeks.

That can’t be said at every position, though. In fact there is one glowing weakness on the interior offensive line. You all know the name. Right guard Ed Ingram has been riding the struggle bus all season, and that was the case again on Sunday in London.

Ed Ingram on the Minnesota Vikings hot seat?

Ingram is in his third year and he has started all 35 of the NFL games he has played in. Many fans and prominent media members suspected Dalton Risner to take Ingram’s place, when he was re-signed as a free agent during training camp. But then, Risner hurt his back and was placed on IR, before the season started.

Now that Risner’s 21-day practice window has been opened, all eyes are on Ingram and whether or not the Minnesota Vikings will make the change. According to Ben Goessling (Star Tribune), that change could be sooner, rather than later.

Per @BenGoessling via @AccessVikings, he got a "vibe" that @Vikings G Dalton Risner is expecting to "be out there".

Goessling also believes current RG Ed Ingram "leash is not terribly long" and if Ingram struggles again, the switch to Risner is imminent.

“I got a little bit… pic.twitter.com/upK3hvT15Z

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) October 17, 2024

“I got a little bit of a vibe the way [Dalton Risner] talked the other day, and I don’t know this for sure, but I got a little bit of a vibe of like, yeah, I’m expecting to be out there. I think if Ed Ingram struggles again, I don’t think the switch could be very far away at right guard… I think the leash is not terribly long for anything.”

Ben Goessling (Star Tribune via Access Vikings)

It sounds like Ingram will start against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, but it sounds like his leash will be extremely short. The Minnesota Vikings insider believes that one more week riding the struggle could mean a change at right guard.

Related: KOC Clarifies Why Vikings Traded for Cam Akers

Goessling also got the vibe, while interviewing Risner during a media scrum Monday, that the 29-year-old former Denver Bronco is expecting to play. What does that mean? We don’t know, but it certainly adds to the intrigue.

"I'm comfortable at right and left, whatever guard position it is, truly whatever position they want me to play I'm ready to go."

– #Vikings Guard Dalton Risner

📽️ @Vikings pic.twitter.com/xyyRdtALHa

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) October 15, 2024

Why replace Ingram with Dalton Risner?

This may seem like a rhetorical question at this point now, but Ingram has consistently been one of the worst guards in the NFL. After week five, Ingram ranked near the bottom in the NFL in nearly every statistical metric for guards.

At this point, it seems like only a matter of time before Ingram is replaced. He is who he is at this point of his career, and being a second-round draft pick in 2022, his skill isn’t cutting it anymore. Especially, in pass protection.

Related: Minnesota Vikings RB Gives His Own Injury Update

The only thing Ingram has going for him is continuity, and Dalton Risner’s inability to run block. If that wasn’t reality, it’s very possible Ingram would never see the field. But, Risner is terrible at blocking for running backs… but not as bad as Ingram is blocking for quarterbacks (29.4). Being 5-0 helps too.

"I feel like competition is always healthy, it pushes everybody to go harder, so you don't get complacent and get comfortable and I kinda like that."

– #Vikings RG Ed Ingram on Dalton Risner's practice window opening.

📽️ @Vikings pic.twitter.com/crrErMm8Ek

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) October 15, 2024

“I feel like competition is always healthy, it pushes everybody to go harder, so you don’t get complacent and get comfortable and I kinda like that.”

Minnesota Vikings’ right guard Ed Ingram (Vikings.com)

Will head coach Kevin O’Connell make a move? We’ll find out sooner rather than later, but it does sound like Ingram is embracing that right guard competition battle.

Does @Vikings RG Ed Ingram need replaced once G Dalton Risner is healthy?

Thru 5 weeks (per @PFF)*:
💥Overall: 52.7 (155 of 177)
💥Run Block: 62.2 (107 of 177)
💥Pass Block: 29.4 (173 of 177)
💥3 sacks (159 of 177)
💥1 QB hit (T-64 of 177)
💥13 QB hurries (176 of 177)
💥17 QB… pic.twitter.com/86s6vs6kjS

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) October 7, 2024

It may seem bleak now, with Ed Ingram ranking 66th among 75 guards per PFF, but there was a time when the Vikings had it worse. Remember Dakota Dozier?

Anyway, life doesn’t have to continue being this scary. The Vikings could get a better guard. Right now, the most obvious replacement is Dalton Risner once he’s back up to full speed, but what about outside solutions? There’s one who could hop aboard the Vikings’ ship via free agency this offseason.

Related: 4 Stats to Know for Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings Matchup, Analyzing Impact

BR suggest Minnesota Vikings should sign Trey Smith in 2025

Even after signing Justin Jefferson to a record-breaking contract extension and paying Christian Darrisaw $104M, your Minnesota Vikings are still in tip-top shape when it comes to the salary cap this offseason.

If the offseason started today, and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah didn’t sign any of Minnesota’s pending free agents (not realistic), then the Vikings would have roughly $76 million in cap space, per OTC. That’s a lot of cheddar.

It’s enough cheese for the Vikings to go out and literally sign any player they wanted in free agency. Knowing what we know about the Vikings’ guard situation (Ed Ingram bad, Dalton Risner free agent), it only makes sense to comb the open market for an upgrade.

Recently, Bleacher Report provided a bit of a Vikings offseason primer, where they select one obvious target Minnesota’s front office should go after. To no surprise, they selected a guard, Trey Smith, of the Kansas City Chiefs.

As mentioned, Smith is one of the best guards in the NFL. The two-time Super Bowl winner enters Week 7 as the sixth-highest grade in the league, per Pro Football Focus. Yet, he does tend to grade just above average as a pass protector, so there are some blemishes in his game.

The Chiefs’ right guard has allowed zero sacks but nine hurries (and ten pressures) this season. Considering Ingram has allowed three sacks and 13 hurries (and 17 pressures), that’s still a big upgrade. PFF would agree, as Ingram has a putrid pass-block grade of 29.4, whereas Smith’s is at 62.6.

If the Vikings want to take one massive step toward improving their run blocking while still providing better protection as J.J. McCarthy makes his NFL debut in 2025, then signing someone like Smith would be a perfect fit this offseason.

A bye week gives the coaching staff more time to correct any mistakes that surfaced over the past two near-collapses. But with 12 more games to play, what are some of the biggest questions facing the Vikings after the bye?

Related: Where Do Minnesota Vikings Rank in Latest NFL Power Rankings? (Week 6)

Sam Darnold was hyped as a potential MVP candidate through four weeks. Seeing as though he had mainly been known for being the butt of a bad joke during the six years of his career, seeing the narrative shift so quickly was a sight to see.

How sustainable is Sam Darnold’s hot start?

However, Darnold struggled a bit against Robert Saleh’s elite defense, failing to throw a touchdown and finishing with more turnovers than touchdowns for the first time as a Viking. But even Patrick Mahomes has an off day every now and then. What should we make of Darnold’s hiccups against his old team?

The truth is, Darnold hadn’t been without flaws, the Vikings were just winning so much that his few errant passes would be forgotten by the time the victory champagne was popped. If we take a deeper look at the numbers, Darnold has been, largely average.

• Sam Darnold stats: 63.5% comp. rate, 1,111 passing yards, 11 TD, 4 INT

Darnold’s 4.6% big-time throw percentage (measures passes with excellent ball location and timing, usually on passes farther downfield) ranks 11th among quarterbacks who have played at least 20% of their team’s snaps. He also has the 10th-highest turnover-worthy throw percentage at 4.1% of his attempts.

Several high-profile QBs rank worse than Sam, including Josh Allen (5.5%), Kirk Cousins (4.8%), and Jordan Love (4.7%). All of this is to say, Coach O’Connell is still doing a great job of putting Darnold in a position to succeed, but finding a way to avoid further turnovers will be crucial to the team’s second-half success.

Related: There’s a New Graphic Trying to Put the Minnesota Vikings in the Super Bowl…

The former first-round pick only has one game without an interception, and after losing a fumble in back-to-back games, our biggest concern with Darnold is finding a way to avoid turnovers.

Do the Vikings have enough RB depth?

Aaron Jones’ injury in Week 5 created some panic. The Vikings thought they were still in good hands with Ty Chandler. It quickly became evident, however, that he is not in the same stratosphere as Jones, from a talent standpoint.

The Vikings indicate the Pro Bowl running back’s hip injury isn’t as concerning as it seems, but he’s still week-to-week, which means he could miss the Week 7 matchup versus Detroit. Even if he returns, what if the 29-year-old’s injury lingers or even flares up later in the season?

Related: Biggest Minnesota Vikings Winners and Losers Thru Week 5: Who Sticks Out So Far?

Jones averages 5.9 yards per touch. Meanwhile, Chandler is at 3.9 this season. Myles Gaskin is even worse, at 2.5 yards per touch. Can the Vikings really trust a combination of Chandler and Gaskin to shoulder the load for a team poised to make a run at the postseason?

The Vikings don’t have a lot of draft picks to trade. But if they want to upgrade their backfield, before the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline passes, options are limited. Maybe they even reach out and reunite with a familiar face, such as Ameer Abdullah from Las Vegas. He wouldn’t cost more than a sixth or seventh-round pick and is currently averaging 4.7 yards per touch.

How quickly will T.J. Hockenson get back up to full speed?

T.J. Hockenson’s return is near. The Vikings activated his 21-day practice window last Friday, which gives him up to three weeks before the team is required to either promote him to the active roster or shut him down for the rest of the season.

However, this is a player who’s coming off a torn ACL and MCL that occurred on December 24th, 2023. Many ACL tears take up to 12 months to fully recover, and while recent medical advancements have helped shrink that timeline for certain athletes, not every player’s body responds the same.

Related: Vikings Guard Ed Ingram was Hard to Watch vs Jets

Hockenson is expected to be activated either for the Oct. 20 Lions game or the Oct. 24 Rams game. That means he’ll be running full speed less than 10 months after having surgery. In other words, it could take some time for Hockenson to look like the two-time Pro Bowl tight end Vikings fans have learned to love.

Can Dalton Risner help the Minnesota Vikings?

All offseason, Vikings fans were clamoring for more help along the offensive line. It never came. However, the team did finally re-sign Dalton Risner, late in the summer. When he was signed, the assumption was that the 29-year-old would resume his old starting role as the left guard. Yet, Blake Brandel has since established a stronghold on his starting job.

That means, if Risner is to get back into the starting lineup, it will have to either be due to injury, or by replacing Ed Ingram at right guard. The only issue is, the sixth-year pro has never taken a snap at right guard in his NFL life.

Related: Former NFL O-Lineman Breaks Down What Makes Vikings EDGE Rushers So Elite

But at some point, the Vikings have to look themselves in the mirror and ask whether starting Ingram is the best move for the team. Right now, he’s grading as the 82nd-best guard in football or, to put it another way, the 16th-worst. He’s just not dependable as a pass protector, where he is the second-worst pass blocker among guards who have played five games. There’s no doubt that Risner could provide that same level of effort, if not better.

Is the Vikings’ top-rated defense legit?

Before Brian Flores took command as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, this unit allowed the 28th-most points per game under fan favorite Ed Donatell. His first year, Flores improved that mark to 13th. Now? The Vikings have allowed the fourth-fewest points in the NFL. Some are even saying the Vikings have the league’s best defense, and there are several other stats to support this theory.

This Vikings defense is on another level. pic.twitter.com/84J3FrYM9k

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) October 7, 2024

The 2024 Vikings defense compared to the '85 Bears and 2000 Ravens thru 5 games… pic.twitter.com/wU4PvSvwW7

— Purple FTW! Podcast (@PurpleForTheWin) October 7, 2024

Opponents have scored on just 21.7% of their drives against the Vikings, which is the best rate in the NFL. The Vikings have allowed just one rushing touchdown all season, likely a microcosm of being ahead for all but three minutes and 26 seconds of gameplay. So far, there aren’t any real glaring concerns with this defense.

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They’re forcing the second-most turnovers and have recorded the most interceptions this season. If this group can continue creating turnovers while holding opponents to the sixth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the second-fewest rushing yards per play, there’s no reason why they won’t finish as a top-ten unit.

Is Will Reichard really this good?

Rookie kickers aren’t supposed to be this good. Usually, there are first-year jitters, whether it’s playing in front of an electric home crowd or on the road with 50,000 fans booing you. Yet, Will Reichard is not your average kicker.

He’s just one of three kickers who have played all five games and has yet to miss a field goal. But, when adding in extra points, Reichard is the only NFL kicker who has played five games and has yet to miss a single attempt.

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It’s not like the Vikings are playing it safe with their rookie either. He’s made three kicks from 50 or more yards. If Reichard had missed his lone field goal attempt against the Packers, the Vikings wouldn’t be undefeated right now. While there’s no doubt he belongs in the NFL, the biggest question is how long can the 23-year-old maintain his nerves of steel?