Vikings open practice window for starting-caliber OL

The move allows Risner to resume practicing. He must be activated in the next 21 days to avoid reverting to season-ending injured reserve. Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell indicated at the beginning of the month Risner would not be ready to practice when first eligible, but he has clearly made progress since then.

The 29-year-old landed on IR in August, a move which guaranteed he would be sidelined for at least the first four games of the season. The Vikings took advantage of the NFL’s new offseason IR rules by designating him for return ahead of roster cutdowns. Doing so prevented the team for needing to name him to the initial roster, although he did use up one of the eight available in-season activations for the campaign.

Once Risner is back in the picture, he will offer a starting-caliber option up front for the undefeated Vikings. The former Bronco started each of his 62 appearances with Denver, and after plenty of time on the open market, he landed a one-year Vikings pact. The former second-rounder wound up making 15 appearances during his debut Minnesota season, including 11 starts.

Once again, a longer free-agent spell than expected ensued, but Risner ultimately re-signed with the Vikings. The terms of that pact — one year, $2.41M — certainly do not guarantee a first-team role in 2024, and Ed Ingram and Blake Brandel have handled guard duties to date. Risner could look to unseat the latter once he is back to full health, although Brandel’s 2024 PFF grade (64.5) is the highest of his career.

Minnesota’s offense has performed better than expected with Sam Darnold at quarterback this season, and his market value has received a notable boost given how things currently stand. Bringing Risner back into the fold will help that unit once he is activated.