Bleacher Report lays out a scenario Minnesota Vikings fans do not want to hear
The Minnesota Vikings invested in the interior of their offensive line this year after seeing it crumble in their final two games of the 2024 season. Both the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams dominated the Vikings on the interior, which is why Garrett Bradbury is now a Patriot and Ed Ingram was traded to the Texans.
The Vikings replaced their three interior starters on the offensive line with two free agents in center, Ryan Kelly, and guard Will Fries from the Colts, as well as first-round pick Donovan Jackson. That trio is now poised to be able to move the Titanic if it were to line up across from them, but there remains some risk with the group.
When Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine laid out the worst-case scenario for the Vikings' 2025 season, it involved that group of players. It trickled down to the team's running back duo in veteran Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, who they acquired from the 49ers.
He writes, "But there are some questions inside the tackles. Jackson will need to prove himself as a rookie and Fries is "on track to be ready for camp," but still recovering from the fractured tibia he suffered last season. Kelly is 32 and hasn't played all 17 games in a season the last two years. That trio will be blocking for a 30-year-old Aaron Jones. Jordan Mason is behind him on the depth chart, but there's a world in which the Vikings' run game is not good enough to help McCarthy as he navigates his first season as starter."
Some outlets predict Mason will outwork Aaron Jones despite the veteran earning a second deal with the Vikings. Mason showed that his game has some promise in replacing Christian McCaffrey for the 49ers last year and that he can be something in the right situation.
As Ballentine points out, though, if the interior offensive line fails, it doesn't matter who the running back is. From there, the entire offense will crumble.
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Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! share
