Did the Vikings Officially Uncover 1 New Starter on Sunday?
Pretty quickly, the Vikings season is nearing its descent. Already, there have been eight games and a bye. Minnesota has just completed the Week 9 game — a very surprising, very impressive 27-24 victory over the Lions — so things are closer to the end than many realize.
On Sunday, so much attention was on the return of J.J. McCarthy (reasonably). Lost in the shuffle was the status of the offensive line, a group that was playing all of the starters … apart from a single expensive Viking. Starting center Ryan Kelly is still on the IR, working on getting back to full health. Is he still part of the plan for the front five?
The Vikings and a New Starter at Center
Admittedly, there’s a certain degree of foolishness in bringing things around to Mr. Kelly. Why highlight him when there’s so much else going on?
The center is working on getting back to complete health. Good. Concussions aren’t something to mess around with, so the veteran should be given all the time he needs to ensure that he’s healthy both right now and in the future. Before he’s a football player, Ryan Kelly is a person who has an off-field life. Let him fully heal; anything less would be malpractice.
One still does wonder, though, about where this is going. After all, the status of the offensive line — particularly in relation to Mr. McCarthy — was perhaps the story of the offseason.
The Vikings’ front five played every snap at Ford Field, a rare feat for the 2025 Vikings. Getting the towering tackles back onto the grass is huge; there’s no replacing Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. On the interior, Donovan Jackson and Will Fries have quietly been sturdy.
Is Blake Brandel going to remain as the ongoing starter at center?
The do-it-all depth lineman has entrenched himself as the main backup over Michael Jurgens, someone who is a natural center whereas Brandel is a converted offensive tackle. In fact, Brandel’s first switch was to guard. He has since shuffled even more, adding snap responsibilities.
Plus, there’s a mental workload that a center takes on before the snap. Part of Ryan Kelly’s appeal was that he worked with a pile of passers in Indianapolis, some of whom were quite young. He could adjust protections at the line of scrimmage for McCarthy since the center has a ton of history doing so.
Brandel, 28, has been in the NFL since 2020. He has been with Coach O’Connell from the beginning, meaning he has a strong understanding of the scheme. Brandel isn’t going to be as good as Kelly with the pre-snap communication, but he may be a rock-solid option.
Few, if any, can question Brandel’s toughness, resilience, and compete. Injuries have given him this opportunity, but he has done much to earn it.
One wonders, then, about what the future holds for Ryan Kelly. Surviving on the roster into 2026 always looked dicey given the potential financial savings of a cut. Seeing J.J. McCarthy march into Ford Field as a massive underdog before walking out as a conquering hero makes things even trickier to discern for the remainder of the year.
Quite possibly, the ongoing plan is to see the front five that overcame an impressive Detroit front — Darrisaw | Jackson | Brandel | Fries | O’Neill — continue to be the front that keeps J.J. McCarthy on his feet. To be sure, there’s at least some merit in that possibility.
J.J. McCarthy played his best game as a pro on Sunday (by a Minnesota mile). There were foibles and errors (one of which appearing to be due to Brandel botching a snap). But, crucially, the kid stepped up and made several huge plays. His day finished by having gone 14/25 (56%) for 143 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He added a rushing score, too.
Ryan Kelly, 32, is among the better centers in the NFL. Given the nature of his injury, though, the Vikings cannot be in a hurry get him back onto the field. Far better to give the veteran all the time he needs to ensure he’s completely healthy.
In the meantime, Blake Brandel appears to have a long runway to prove that he’s the solution at center Minnesota has coveted. The offensive line that gets sent out versus the Ravens in Week 10 at U.S. Bank Stadium may be Minnesota’s desired offensive line for the remainder of 2025.
