An Expensive Viking Was Put on Notice
A year ago, the Minnesota Vikings overhauled their entire offensive line by adding Will Fries and Ryan Kelly in free agency, as well as drafting Donovan Jackson in the first round. The results were underwhelming, as the entire unit barely played together. Injuries dominated the season on Minnesota’s offensive line.
Kelly retired this offseason, leaving a hole at center that the Vikings want versatile backup Blake Brandel to fill. The other four starters remain, but a replacement was seemingly acquired in the draft.
In the third round, the Vikings snagged blocker Caleb Tiernan out of Northwestern, who might replace one of them at some point in the near future. He was a tackle in college, but analysts believe a move to guard could make sense.
Left guard Jackson isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Right guard Fries, on the other hand, could be shown the door next year. Fries signed a massive five-year, $87.72 million contract almost 14 months ago.
In his first season in purple, the former Colts lineman played like an average guard, which might be an upgrade from players of the past, but not worth that kind of investment. The first two paychecks are guaranteed, but the Vikings will have the opportunity to move on next year.
After the season, the Vikings can save $9.5 million in 2027 cap space by releasing him, as well as the major $21.5 million in cap hits in 2028 and 2029. By using a post-June 1 designation, the franchise would even save a whopping $17.5 million in 2027. The remaining $8 million would be pushed into future years.
Either way, Fries will have to show that he’s actually worth close to the top of the market salary, and his 2025 isn’t enough to do that. PFF ranked him 42nd of 81 eligible offensive guards. He posted average grades in the passing and running game and that certainly matched the eye test. Fries wasn’t a poor player by any means, but not the dominant force that close to $20 million per year indicates.
Enter Tiernan. The pick was heralded by draft analysts, who thought he might go earlier than 97th overall. Ultimately, the Vikings selected insurance for either tackle spot (Christian Darrisaw has yet to return to full strength from his torn ACL and Brian O’Neill will turn 31 this year and is in the final year of his deal) or a Fries divorce.
The Ringer‘s Todd McShay wrote about Tiernan: “Early in his career, Tiernan could fill a swing tackle role while also providing guard depth as he develops into a potential starter. Players like Bernhard Raimann, Luke Goedeke, and Braden Smith have overcome similar length limitations to stick at tackle.”
That swing role will likely be in his cards in 2026, though the Vikings might just redshirt him and turn to free agent signing Ryan Van Demark in case of an injury.
“There’s also a Northwestern precedent for shorter-armed tackles moving inside and thriving — Peter Skoronski is already among the league’s best. If Tiernan follows that path, Sam Cosmi is a strong stylistic comparison. Tiernan is an athletic, experienced, and versatile offensive lineman who may need to transition from tackle, where he played in college, to guard in the NFL.”
Having a talented blocker waiting for his chance is a luxury the Vikings haven’t had in a long time, but other successful operations in the trenches, like the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, have done so in recent years.
Tiernan provides a fallback plan in case of injury, but also gives the Vikings the option to replace one of the starters in the near future. Fries could be the odd man out next year. He needs a strong season in 2026 to convince folks that he’s indeed worth the lucrative salary.
Fries just turned 28.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.