Nov 23, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Brian O'Neill (75) and teammates await to take the field prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Brian O'Neill (75) and teammates await to take the field prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings have been quiet this offseason, outside of signing quarterback Kyler Murray, who’s the heavy favorite to win the starting job over incumbent youngster, JJ McCarthy.
In fact, you could argue that the biggest changes outside of QB is on the offensive line. Not in terms of personnel, as the Vikings will have five returners starting on that side of the trenches, but in scheme.
Christian Darrisaw is expected to be back and fully healthy from his knee injury two seasons ago. Donovan Jackson should be even better than he was as a rookie.
One of the best at studying offensive lineman.
Here's where @BrandonThornNFL had the Vikings OL:
LT Christian Darrisaw (12th of 40)
LG Donavan Jackson (24th of 34)
C Blake Brandel (33rd of 35)
RG Will Fries (16th of 34)
RT Brian O'Neill (8th of 32) https://t.co/oYd8qFhuaP pic.twitter.com/x09CkizHUc
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) August 7, 2026
Blake Brandel will have to raise his game as the starting center. He is by far the biggest question mark. But on the right side, with right guard Will Fries in his second year as a Viking and right tackle Brian O’Neill, Minnesota is more than formidable.
Speaking of Brian O’Neill, he entered the offseason on the last year of his contract. Instead of risking free agency in 2027, the MN Vikings signed their 30-year-old former 2nd round draft pick to a four-year extension worth $96 million ($65M GTD).
Brian O’Neill contract extension already looking good
Because O’Neill is an offensive lineman, his extension has floated very much under the radar nationally, especially this week after a slu of running backs and wide receivers inked massive deals (Bijon Robinson – 3YR/$67M; Jahmyr Gibbs – 3YR; $68M; Zay Flowers – 4YR/$140M).
However, there were some very smart people around the league who absolutely noticed what Minnesota got done with their starting right tackle. That list includes Seth Walder (ESPN), who on Friday ranked Brian O’Neill’s new contract as hands-down the best offseason extension of the offseason.
At age 30 with only one year left on his contract, extending O’Neill made a ton of sense. That’s true for two reasons: (A) offensive tackles can continue to play at a high level well into their 30s, and (B) right now contract costs for good tackles are relatively cheap. Losing O’Neill would really hurt the offense, replacing him would be difficult, and his extension costs only $24 million per year.
The structure of the deal is also favorable. It’s a pretty salary-heavy contract with a smaller, fully guaranteed $11.2 million salary in 2027 and then no fully guaranteed salary after that, per OverTheCap.com. In other words, the Vikings bought themselves years of team control with limited downside. That’s well worth it.
Any time you can re-sign a captain, whose primary job is protecting your quarterback, you do it. But what impressed Walder so much about O’Neill’s extension was the money and structure, being only $43.4M was fully guaranteed at signing (Spotrac.com).
The last of his fully-guaranteed money will be paid out in 2027, meaning Minnesota isn’t on the hook for anything beyond next season, should Brian O’Neill’s play somehow fall of a cliff. It won’t meaning the Vikings will be able to revisit another new contract for their starting right tackle within the next two years, when he will still be just 32.
Minnesota Vikings offensive line will look different in 2026
This will be a much different offensive line look than what Vikings fans are used to seeing, especially on the ground. Out is former OL coach, Chris Kuper. In his place is Keith Carter, who was promoted from his position as assistant OL coach.
He and new assistant head coach Frank Smith — who spent the past four seasons making the Miami Dolphins one of the best wide-zone rushing teams in the NFL — are now in charge of Minnesota’s new-look wide-zone rushing attack.
Thus, when the Minnesota Vikings take the field this preseason and into the early weeks of the regular season, we will see the o-line attacking the opposing defensive line in ways we haven’t since Dalvin Cook was in the backfield. From the sounds of it, the o-linemen are big fans of the changes so far.
“There were times in the past where we weren’t running off the ball,” Darrisaw said. “We were thinking more. Now, it’s just full speed. Let’s go move the line of scrimmage and see what happens.”