Sports

One familiar Vikings frustration could define the entire 2026 season

The Viking Age · Jul 21, 2026 11:00 · 3 min read

One familiar Vikings frustration could define the entire 2026 season — Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The offensive line of the Minnesota Vikings could be what determines how far they go in the upcoming 2026 NFL season.

The Minnesota Vikings have big plans for the upcoming season, and a lot of it surrounds the team’s quarterback position. The battle between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray will be the biggest headline as it approaches training camp and into the regular season, but according to ESPN’s Seth Walder, it won’t be the team’s “X-Factor” that decides whether they’ll return to the playoffs.

In an assessment of each team’s starting lineup entering next year, Walder called the interior of the offensive line one of the biggest variables going into the season.

While his fellow staffers believe the Vikings have a strength at wide receiver and could enjoy a breakout from Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Walder has the interior of the offensive line in the spotlight as a weakness the Vikings have been trying to fix over the past decade.

“Will Fries struggled last season at guard after signing a big free agent contract, with a sixth percentile pass block win rate. But he boasts upside, as does fellow guard Donovan Jackson, Minnesota’s first-round draft pick in 2025. Blake Brandel played 347 snaps at center last season in his first time playing the position in the NFL.

He is expected to start there again in 2026. How those three players improve could play a big role in how much offensive success the Vikings have this season.”

Minnesota Vikings offensive line could overshadow whoever they choose at quarterback

When trying to figure out how Kevin O’Connell can get his mojo back after a lost season, many point to the quarterback position. While McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer all struggled, the offensive line was just as guilty, combining injuries at the tackle position with ineffectiveness in the middle.

Part of the reason for the Vikings’ issues on the interior was injuries. Jackson had a solid rookie season, posting an overall grade of 59.4 and allowing 26 pressures and two sacks on 440 pass-blocking snaps according to PFF. But his effectiveness was inconsistent as he underwent surgery for a wrist injury last October.

Ryan Kelly was also supposed to be the Vikings’ starting center, but his lone year in Minnesota was marred by concussions before he retired this offseason.

Even Fries had his issues after signing a five-year, $87 million contract in free agency last March. While he led all Vikings offensive linemen with 989 total snaps and was one year removed from breaking his tibia with the Indianapolis Colts, he was not the elite lineman the Vikings had paid for, posting a 61.8 overall grade and allowing 37 pressures and three sacks on 574 pass-blocking snaps.

Jackson and Fries are further removed from serious injury, and that could lead to improvement on its own. But Kelly’s departure creates another problem as the Vikings turn to Brandel at center.

The Vikings have spoken like Brandel is a developmental prospect, as he had not played at center before being thrown into action last fall.

Vikings offensive line coach Keith Carter and O’Connell have also talked up Brandel during the offseason, but at age 29, he’s a player who posted a 56.8 overall grade and was 42nd among qualifiers at the position after Week 5, according to PFF.

Perhaps this group needs time to get acclimated, and having the entire offensive line healthy could be a small victory for the Vikings during camp.

But it’s also a situation that has become a meme as Vikings fans continue to ask, “Can he play guard?” and could mix in a “Can he play center?” if the Brandel experiment doesn’t work out.

A leaky offensive line may negate any plans the Vikings have to strengthen their quarterback play and could leave everyone singing a familiar refrain if the weakness on the interior sabotages an attempt at a rebound season.