Vikings Lineman Goes from Bidding War to Roster Bubble if 2026 Goes Poorly
Signing RG1 Will Fries involved winning a bidding war. Nicknamed “Spud,” the hulking Vikings lineman is now moving into the second season of his five-year contract that’s promising to pay a whopping $87.72 million.
Fries faces very little resistance for his job going into 2026. A locked-in starter, Fries will look to bounceback from a modest debut in the Twin Cities, a drop off in play that’s explainable due to a variety of factors (more on those later on). There’s nevertheless some reason to question his long-term job security if his play doesn’t experience a huge uptick.
Vikings Lineman Will Fries Needs to Take a Step Forward
Part of the aftermath of firing Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has involved undoing some of his recent work.
Most notable, of course, was the decision to enhance the quarterback competition (something the former GM was committed to doing), doing so by bringing in Kyler Murray and bringing back Carson Wentz. Pulling both levers means inserting a QB in front of J.J. McCarthy to chase down; McCarthy must run this race while staying out ahead of Wentz, somebody who isn’t being considered as a starting candidate but as an option in case of emergency.
Bringing things down to the trenches further amplifies the idea of undoing Adofo-Mensah’s work. Gone are Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, the well-paid veteran defensive tackles. Moreover, there was the retirement decision from Ryan Kelly, leaving a void at the center position.
The last man standing from within the well-paid big boys is Will Fries, the former Colt who is moving into his sixth NFL season in 2026.
Originally, Fries turned pro after getting chosen in the 7th Round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Pretty quickly, Fries proved to be a nice pickup, earning playing time as a rookie (a trio of games) before playing in sixteen games (starting nine) as a sophomore. His third season involved starting all seventeen games.
Everything started to really click in 2024. Unfortunately, he only got into five games due to injury, a factor that helps explain some of his struggles with the Vikings in 2025. Indeed, he was still recovering when he arrived in Minnesota, lessening his on-ramp while looking to get up to speed as a Viking.
Prior to getting hurt in 2024, Will Fries was demanding a very sturdy 86.9 PFF grade, an assessment that suggests he’s elite (especially in the ground game). Minnesota’s top leaders largely affirmed such a perspective. Coach O’Connell, for instance, compared Fries to a bear due to some mauling tendencies.
The Fries report card from 2025 shows 3 sacks allowed, 4 quarterback hits, and 37 pressures. Not horrible, but far from pristine. Worse yet are the trio of penalties that are tossed into the mix, as well.
The thinking in the Twin Cities is that Walter Rouse and/or Caleb Tiernan could be candidates to jump into the right guard job. Each is a homegrown young fella who still have much to prove. Still, options to consider, especially since they’re so cheap.
What’s also worth remembering is that the Vikings moved on from OL coach Chris Kuper following the 2025 season. Firing Kuper meant promoting Keith Carter, who was already in town as an assistant offensive line coach. Does the coaching change help to push Will Fries upward in his game?
Seeing Mr. Fries fulfill his potential by becoming a road grader would do wonders for the Minnesota Vikings. Not lacking in skill, the Vikings have too often been a team that doesn’t play bully ball. Scooping up Fries was meant to address that issue but hasn’t yet reached fulfillment.
Cutting Will Fries right now would mean losing cap space, seeing the RG’s cap charge swell from $17,220,000 to $28,610,000 for the benefit…not employing Will Fries. So, that’s a non-starter going into the season.
Next year, things change. Moving on would mean freeing $9,500,000. Fries, in short, needs to shine in 2026 given that a straightforward cut becomes quite plausible following the upcoming season.
