The hits just keep on coming for a Minnesota Vikings offensive line that has already, seemingly, dealt with a season’s worth of injuries just four games into the 2025 season.
The team has announced that right tackle Brian O’Neill has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain. Since it isn’t a tear, he won’t require surgery or anything like that, but how long he’s going to be out depends on the severity of the sprain, which the team has not yet elaborated on.
O’Neill suffered the injury on Will Reichard’s first quarter field goal in the Vikings’ 24-21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin on Sunday afternoon and was replaced by Justin Skule for the remainder of the contest.
After the Vikings poured capital in the form of both free agent money and draft picks into their offensive line this offseason, the five projected starters have yet to play a single snap together. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw missed the first two games while recovering from the ACL tear he suffered in 2024. Left guard Donovan Jackson will be out until after the bye week after undergoing a procedure on his wrist last week. Center Ryan Kelly’s season. . .and, possibly, career. . .could be in serious jeopardy after he suffered his fourth concussion in the last two years (and his second of this 2025 season) on Sunday, and now O’Neill is going to miss at least one game and possibly more.
Not what you want to see when you’re going to be facing, arguably, the best pass rusher in the NFL on Sunday when the Vikings face Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London for their second consecutive European road game.
Hopefully, O’Neill’s absence will be a short one and he’ll be back after the bye week. In fact, hopefully the majority of the Vikings’ offensive line will be back sooner rather than later.
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