Brian O’Neill missed time due to injury for the first time in his career last season, but his Week 1 availability for the coming campaign has seen an encouraging development. The Vikings’ longtime right tackle starter participated in team drills for the first time this offseason on Sunday. 
O’Neill suffered a partial Achilles tear in January, ending his season and setting up a long recovery schedule. He remained sidelined for much of the offseason until taking part in individual drills. He has now progressed to team practices, a notable milestone on his path toward a return to the lineup. Further progress needs to be made for him to reach 100% health, however.
“I’m really excited. I’m just trying to follow the plan that they’ve got for me and starting to shake some rust off,” the 27-year-old said, via Ellis Williams and Craig Peters of the team’s website. “We’re right on schedule, right where we want to be. They’ve done a great job. We’re not there yet but will be.”
The Pro Bowler has been a mainstay on Minnesota’s O-line throughout his career, starting all but four of his 79 career games. He eclipsed 1,000 snaps in 2022 despite missing the regular season finale, and he earned a career-high PFF grade of 82.7. That ranked eighth out of 71 qualified tackles, demonstrating the Pitt alum’s value to the Vikings up front. Being recovered in full in time for the start of the regular season would provide a notable boost to the team’s offense.
Swing man Oli Udoh filled in for O’Neill during the latter’s absence, which helped earn him a new deal with the Vikings this offseason. The latter, meanwhile, is in the midst of a five-year, $92.5MM extension which has him on the books through 2026. Returning to his pre-injury form would help O’Neil and the Vikings over both the short- and long-term future, and the weekend marked a notable step in that direction.