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Donovan Jackson (Ohio State)

Vikings Place C Ryan Kelly On IR; J.J. McCarthy Uncertain For Week 7

October 4th, 2025 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

The Vikings continue to be burdened with injuries in 2025. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network was the first to report today that Vikings center Ryan Kelly will be placed on injured reserve. The team’s official announcement shows that Minnesota will be getting a body back from IR, though, as it activates fullback C.J. Ham.

Kelly is in his first season with the Vikings after spending the first nine years of his career with the Colts. The four-time Pro Bowler will miss the next four games after suffering his second concussion in three weeks. Kelly is no stranger to injuries; he’s only ever played in every game of the regular season three times in his career, most recently missing seven games last year.

Surgery for a broken bone in his Kelly’s foot sidelined him for the first four games of his second year in the league, and after he returned for seven games, a concussion sidelined him for the remainder of that year. Since then, recurrent concussions and neck injuries saw him frequent the sideline for a couple weeks each year. Last season, he added a knee injury to his list of ailments, causing a stay on IR as he recovered from surgery.

Minnesota decided to look past his extensive injury history when signing him because Kelly has routinely performed as one of the better, more consistent centers in the league. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Kelly was playing some of the best football of his career for the Vikings this season before landing on the injured list.

Kelly becomes the third offensive lineman, the sixth offensive player, and the eighth overall player to land on IR from the Vikings’ roster. To make matter worse, starting right tackle Brian O’Neill, starting left guard Donovan Jackson, and backup center Michael Jurgens have all been ruled out for this weekend on the team’s injury report, leaving only left tackle Christian Darrisaw and right guard Will Fries as the last starters standing in front of backup quarterback Carson Wentz, who is starting with J.J. McCarthy ruled out, as well.

Blake Brandel, who started every game for Minnesota at left guard last year, filled in for Jackson last week, but the team’s depth chart has him listed as the third option at center behind Kelly and Jurgens. Justin Skule is listed as the primary backup for both tackle spots, and Joe Huber and Walter Rouse were the only other remaining healthy backups on the 53-man roster before today’s transactions.

The Vikings waived quarterback Desmond Ridder in order to sign practice squad rookie offensive lineman Vershon Lee to the 53-man roster. Lee adds incredible versatility to the offensive line after starting 40 games at three different positions in college at South Carolina — 18 at center, 16 at left guard, and six at right tackle. He finished his career as a center and could be an option if the team wants to keep Brandel at left guard.

The team also used one of its two standard gameday practice squad elevations to call up guard Henry Byrd, who appeared in his first career game earlier this season after going undrafted in 2023. The other elevation was utilized to call up running back Cam Akers, as usual starter Aaron Jones is one of the six offensive players on IR.

The team cutting Ridder comes as a bit of a surprise considering some of the rumors surrounding McCarthy this weekend. According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, sources have relayed that “McCarthy isn’t healthy, and while the target return has been Week 7 against the Eagles, it could still be longer.” This follows rumors that Minnesota may be using the injury to keep McCarthy off the field for a bit after they watched him struggle more than expected in his first two NFL games, arguing that the extra time could help him prepare a bit more for a return to play.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell has been extremely clear about the conditions for McCarthy’s return, though, saying that the second-year passer “won’t play until he’s had a full week of practice.” Since exiting Week 2 with an injury, he hasn’t yet practiced in any capacity. Still, O’Connell asserts that once his young quarterback is healthy, he’ll return to his starting role. With McCarthy still out and Ridder off the team, undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer stands as the only remaining quarterback on the roster to back up Wentz.

Despite a lot of tough news, the Vikings will see Ham return to the field. The two-time Pro Bowl fullback missed the start of the season with a knee injury. He’ll return to an offensive backfield that looks a bit different without the starting quarterback and running back.

Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy To Miss Week 4; Latest On QB’s Path Back To Starting Job

September 22nd, 2025 at 10:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings used a turnover spree to wallop the Bengals in a matchup of backup quarterbacks. Minnesota’s relief option will receive at least one more start, with Kevin O’Connell confirming Carson Wentz will be at the controls for the Vikings’ Ireland game against the Steelers.

While no ambiguity regarding J.J. McCarthy‘s Week 4 status is coming, the fourth-year Minnesota HC did not confirm McCarthy would be back at the controls when he is healthy enough to play. The Vikings want their second-year quarterback, who is recovering from a high ankle sprain, to have a full runup in practice before he is reinserted.

“First and foremost, he’s got to get healthy. And then, I don’t think it’s one of those things where it’s, hey, he’s healthy the night before a game, we’re going to throw him out there and say, ‘Hey, go figure it out’ type of thing,” O’Connell said, via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert.

“I think we saw, as phenomenal as he was getting prepared for the Atlanta game, he did miss practice that week. And when you’re in the phase of building up the 10,000 reps and 10,000 hours of what it takes to play the position at a very high level, which we know J.J. McCarthy is going to do, you can’t cut corners on that. And that also doesn’t require an answer on that question today.”

This stance will allow the Vikings to delay an answer here. The team’s definitive response will help define its season. The Vikings cleared the runway for McCarthy this offseason, passing on a Sam Darnold franchise tag and letting Daniel Jones walk in free agency. Minnesota did make an offer to the current Colts starter, but the short-lived Vikings practice squad arm viewed Indianapolis as a better opportunity to start. The Vikings then passed on Sunday foe Aaron Rodgers, who had wanted to join O’Connell and Justin Jefferson in what would have been a high-profile bridge setup. These moves gave McCarthy a clear path to the starting role he was in line to push Darnold for — before his season-ending meniscus injury — at some point in 2024.

Although McCarthy flashed during a comeback win over the Bears, he struggled during a listless Week 2 loss. McCarthy threw two interceptions and took six sacks against Atlanta. McCarthy finished with the second-lowest QBR in Week 2. Wentz benefited from the Bengals’ five turnovers Sunday but was 14 of 20 for 173 yards and two touchdown passes. This performance came after Wentz arrived in Minnesota in late August, with the team trading Sam Howell.

O’Connell pushed back on the notion of this being a McCarthy soft benching, per Seifert, but did indicate value for the young starter in watching Wentz execute. McCarthy’s time on IR last season brought significant developmental limitations, even as he could watch how Darnold operated O’Connell’s offense. Now, another hurdle has emerged. How McCarthy progresses in practice will be critical toward his return.

Wentz, 32, has been benched twice, traded twice and cut once since signing a lucrative Eagles deal in 2019. He has now started for six teams in the past six years, becoming the first quarterback to do so. While Week 18 starts in place of resting QBs (Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes) helped extend that streak, those cameos do remind of the former No. 2 overall pick’s nomadic period after both the Colts and Commanders did not bring him back as a starter.

It would be quite surprising if the Vikings abandoned their McCarthy plan after two starts, but some pressure did come from finishing 14-3 last season. Wentz, though, looks likely to have two more games to make his case.

The Vikings travel from Ireland to England between Weeks 4 and 5, following up their Jets tilt with a Browns matchup in London, and have a Week 6 bye. This would give McCarthy a ramp-up period, though it is within the realm of possibility Wentz could change the organization’s thinking in two AFC North matchups. McCarthy will travel to the Ireland and England games.

Additionally, O’Connell said first-round rookie Donovan Jackson underwent wrist surgery; the Ohio State product is likely to miss the Vikings’ Steelers and Browns games before the bye, Seifert adds.

The reigning Coach of the Year said (via Seifert) the Vikes’ left guard suffered the injury in Week 2 and played through it, due to being deemed unable to further damage his wrist, Sunday. But a surgical repair will lead to some time on the sideline. Sixth-year guard Blake Brandel, a 17-game 2024 starter, would be in line to work as a fill-in as part of Minnesota’s revamped interior O-line.

Donovan Jackson Leading Vikings’ LG Battle

June 26th, 2025 at 10:09pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Vikings first-round pick Donovan Jackson “has the inside track to emerge from training camp” as the team’s starting left guard, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.

Jackson, the No. 24 selection in April’s draft, made his first 31 college starts at left guard before moving to left tackle to replace injured then-Ohio State teammate Josh Simmons. Jackson performed admirably on the blind side, leading to some pre-draft chatter about his potential as a guard/tackle hybrid.

But with Christian Darrisaw firmly entrenched as the Vikings’ long-term left tackle, Jackson will play left guard in Minnesota. He took the majority of first-team reps during spring practices, per Seifert, though that is partially because starting right guard Will Fries is still sidelined by last season’s broken leg. Blake Brandel, who played every snap at left guard for the Vikings last year, has been working in Fries’ spot, but he will likely still compete with Jackson in training camp once Fries is back on the field.

Brendel struggled in 2024 with 46 quarterback pressures allowed, the second-most among starting guards, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That gives Jackson a clear opening to seize the starting job by demonstrating better pass protection during the preseason.

The Vikings turned over their offensive line depth this offseason, so there are no other obvious candidates to push Jackson and Brendel for the starting left guard job.

Vikings Sign G Donovan Jackson, Complete Rookie Class

May 14th, 2025 at 8:09pm CST by Ely Allen

With only five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft (tied with Atlanta and Washington for the fewest in the league), the Vikings didn’t have much work to do in order to finish off their rookie class signings. Regardless, they’re the first to get it done this offseason.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Minnesota came to terms with first-round guard Donovan Jackson, closing out the signing process for their rookies. The four-year deal (with a fifth-year option) is fully guaranteed for $17.18MM and will include a $9.42MM signing bonus. After the conclusion of his rookie season, he’ll also earn training camp roster bonuses of $616K in 2026, $1.28MM in 2027, and $1MM in 2028.

During his time at Ohio State, Jackson spent time at both guard and tackle. He started at left guard for the Buckeyes in his sophomore and junior years. When Josh Simmons suffered a midseason patellar tendon tear last year, Jackson slid out to left tackle for the remaining nine games of the season. Jackson put himself on the NFL radar after earning second-team All-Big Ten acclaim in his first season as a starter and first-team honors the next year. He upped the stakes with first-team All-American honors last season, helping Ohio State to a College Football Playoff championship.

With their only decent interior offensive line play last year coming from Dalton Risner, now a free agent, the Vikings worked to seriously upgrade their guard and centers spots, bringing in former Colts Will Fries and Ryan Kelly at guard and center, respectively. Jackson is projected to slot in opposite Fries in order to form a completely new interior for Minnesota.

With their rookie class complete, here’s a look at the five first-year players that the Vikings drafted:

Vikings Draft G Donovan Jackson At No. 24

April 24th, 2025 at 9:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Vikings were busy adding up front in free agency, and that has continued via the draft. Minnesota has selected Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson at No. 24.

Only entering the draft with four picks, the Vikings nevertheless used their top 2025 draft asset to complete an interior O-line overhaul. After signing ex-Colts Ryan Kelly and Will Fries in free agency, Minnesota is adding Jackson, who played both guard and tackle at Ohio State last season. In the NFL, however, Jackson is expected to line up inside.

Set at tackle, in rostering Brian O’Neill and a recovering Christian Darrisaw, the Vikings changed up significantly inside. They traded benched guard Ed Ingram, a 2022 second-round pick, to the Texans. Dalton Risner, a two-year stopgap of sorts, has not re-signed. It should be expected Jackson will usurp Blake Brandel at one of the guard positions, while Fries mans the other spot after the Vikes won a free agent derby to land one of this year’s top available blockers.

Jackson gave the Vikings plenty of tape to study. He started at guard throughout the 2022 and ’23 seasons, at a program known for churning out O-line talent, and slid to left tackle after Josh Simmons suffered a patellar tendon tear last season. Despite this Buckeyes nucleus’ profile rising thanks to the late-season charge to the national title last season, Jackson was already on the NFL radar after earning first-team All-Big Ten acclaim in 2022 and ’23 as a guard. He repeated that feat last season, helping Ohio State (and transfer QB Will Howard) to a championship.

The Vikes having Jackson also should help them from a roster-building sense, as Darrisaw is on a top-five LT contract while O’Neill is attached to an upper-crust RT deal. The team also gave Fries top-10 guard money to commit to the Twin Cities, while Kelly is signed to a short-term deal at a mid-market center rate.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

OL Draft Notes: Campbell, Jackson, Membou

April 19th, 2025 at 4:20pm CST by Ely Allen

In our recent 2025 NFL Mock Draft, we projected that LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell would be selected by the Patriots at No. 4 overall, and we don’t appear to be alone in that projection. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe recently asserted that “all roads lead to” New England for Campbell.

Volin quoted Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network who recently told him, “I’ve just continually heard that offensive tackle was going to be addressed, and I’ve continually heard that that’s Will Campbell’s spot.”

The top three picks of the 2025 NFL Draft consistently reflect that Miami quarterback Cam Ward, Colorado athlete Travis Hunter, and Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter will be the first three off the board. This leaves the Patriots with every other option on the board with the fourth overall pick, and while no pick seems as obvious as the first three, all signs seem to be pointing to Campbell.

Here are a few other draft rumors concerning offensive linemen in the upcoming draft:

  • Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson hasn’t garnered as much attention from the media in the pre-draft process as his bookend teammate Josh Simmons, who has earned some projections as a potential first-rounder, but he’s still getting plenty of attention from the NFL. After shifting out from his usual left guard spot to left tackle part-way through his senior season in Columbus, Jackson has garnered some second-round projections of his own. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Jackson visited his hometown’s local team, the Texans, this week. Wilson adds that Jackson has also visited the Giants, Eagles, Vikings, and Raiders in the past few weeks.
  • Many of the draft’s top tackle prospects have been projected more favorably as guards at the NFL level. Several teams have overlooked the limitations of these prospects as they search for tackle help. Missouri lineman Armand Membou continues to hear position questions in the runup to the draft. Per Volin, Membou’s trainer, Duke Mayweather of OL Masterminds, has claimed that Membou is much more likely to flourish at right tackle and that he wouldn’t try to switch him to left tackle. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune took things a step further, saying that, while he agrees Membou will fit first at right tackle, he thinks Membou is more likely to end up playing guard than left tackle in the NFL.

AFC Draft Rumors: Membou, Raiders, Titans, Jackson, Texans, Bengals, Jaguars

April 16th, 2025 at 1:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

The top four teams in this draft seem pointed in certain directions, while value may tie the Jaguars to Mason Graham. At No. 6, the Raiders could go in a few directions. One of them could be an offensive line investment. Kolton Miller is entrenched at left tackle, though he is entering an age-30 season, but a question looms on the right side. The team could answer it at No. 6, and Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes the Raiders are giving strong consideration to leaving Ashton Jeanty on the board to take Missouri tackle Armand Membou. Although the superstar running back sits third on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board (compared to Membou’s 12th-place ranking), the latter carries greater positional value. John Spytek saw the Buccaneers hit on Tristan Wirfs at RT in the 2020 first round; that move helped QB-turned-Raiders part-owner Tom Brady. Membou would give Las Vegas a clear-cut RT answer to help Geno Smith, though Jeanty would boost the QB’s thin weaponry cadre. .

Here is the latest from the AFC draft landscape:

  • If the Raiders trade down, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller pairs them with Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron. Residing as one of the top corners in this draft, Barron matches up against Michigan’s Will Johnson for the honor of best pure CB — behind two-way star Travis Hunter — in this class, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Jeremiah ranks Barron 11th overall, tabbing the ex-Longhorn as a player who can offer NFL teams the option of playing outside, in the slot or in the box. Johnson profiles as more of a straight-up boundary defender, though the recent slot CB payments underscore how high the league values perimeter defenders by comparison. The Raiders have a clear need at corner, having cut Antonio Pierce reclamation project Jack Jones.
  • The Jaguars could impede the Raiders on Membou, whom some teams view as a guard, or pluck Will Campbell at No. 5 — if the Patriots pass. Jacksonville added some midlevel options up front in free agency, signing ex-Ravens spork Patrick Mekari and ex-Buccaneers center Robert Hainsey. The team still extended Walker Little (under since-fired GM Trent Baalke) and has 2023 first-round tackle Anton Harrison under contract through 2026. Ezra Cleveland is also back, but the Jags could aim higher by adding Membou or Campbell. This scenario is not one to overlook, per the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora.
  • Seeing some issues form along their front, the Bengals join the Jags as a team expected to invest in O-line help, La Canfora adds. The team has tackles Orlando Brown Jr. and 2024 first-rounder Amarius Mims, but center Ted Karras and guard Cordell Volson are in contract years. The team could use interior help, potentially via multiple reinforcements next week.
  • The Texans and Titans are also looking into O-line help in this draft, each scheduling “30” visits with Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson before Wednesday’s deadline, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. The Titans brought in Jackson last week, while the Texans are meeting with him today. The left tackle for Ohio State’s national championship-winning team, Jackson profiles as a guard at the next level. He logged 31 consecutive starts at guard for the Buckeyes from 2022 until the midseason shift last year, giving teams plenty of data from a blue-blood program to evaluate.
  • The Titans also met with Missouri wide receiver prospect Luther Burden, per veteran reporter Paul Kuharsky. Burden met with the team Tuesday and could certainly fill a need in Nashville, as the Titans have not made a starter-level receiver addition — their Van Jefferson signing notwithstanding — after losing DeAndre Hopkins and Tyler Boyd.
  • Houston also met with Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson notes. One of the best run defenders in this draft class, Grant could be a player to watch for the Chargers and the coach who signed him in college. The Texans ending Jim Harbaugh‘s first season slides them three draft slots lower than the Bolts (Nos. 22 and 25) in Round 1.