The Minnesota Vikings’ offensive line has struggled mightily to start the 2023 campaign, especially when it comes to the running game. These O-line struggles directly contributed to the team’s 0-2 start of the season, which is why the front office decided to dip in the free agent market and sign veteran guard Dalton Risner.
Risner will reportedly ink a deal through the 2023 campaign and is expected to get a starting job. He will receive $4 million for the remaining 15 games.
The Vikings monitored Risner for a while now and even hosted him for a visit during training camp. However, the 28-year-old’s health was an issue at the time, so Minnesota passed on the opportunity to sign him.
“We really just wanted to bring him in and get to know him a little bit better, use the process of a visit to do that and see if we can possibly take what we see as a strong group and make it even better,” said Vikings’ head coach Kevin O’Connell at the time.
The protection isn’t such a big issue for the Vikings’ O-line as starting quarterback Kirk Cousins was sacked four times so far in 2023, which is in the middle of the pack. However, generating rushing yards has been a big problem, as the Vikings’ 69 yards on the ground are the fewest in the NFL through Week 2.
Risner started his professional career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Kansas State product started 62 games with the franchise in his first four seasons in the league but was let go as part of the Broncos’ efforts to revamp their offensive line during the offseason.
