Vikings Gamble Big on Risky $88M Guard After Playoff Disaster
After quarterback Sam Darnold was sacked a playoff-record nine times in a crushing wild-card loss to the Rams, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell made it clear: the interior offensive line had to improve.
But with a chaotic free-agent market for guards, Minnesota made a bold—and risky—move, handing former Colts lineman Will Fries a five-year, $88 million contract despite him recovering from a broken tibia.
Top names like Trey Smith, Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Aaron Banks were all taken early, leaving slim pickings. The Vikings moved quickly on Fries, even offering him a deal without requiring an immediate physical. According to The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, Seattle had hoped to bring Fries in for a physical when free agency opened, but the Vikings pounced before that could happen.
Fries passed his physical once he arrived in Minnesota, and the team is now cautiously optimistic. On the first day of OTAs, Coach O’Connell said Fries likely won’t be fully active this spring but is on track for training camp.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73954489/2166784799.0.jpg)
I don’t know if we’ll see him fully active this spring,” O’Connell said on May 28. “But I’m really excited to see him in camp. He’s in a good spot, and there’s still a chance we get some reps from him in the next couple weeks.”
While there’s valid concern over his health and past inconsistency, Fries showed serious potential before his injury, outperforming his seventh-round draft status and playing like a top-tier guard in 2023. Still, he’s only played a full 17-game season once, and his Pro Football Focus grades before last year were underwhelming.
The Vikings structured his contract accordingly—it’s essentially a two-year deal with a potential out in 2027. They’d eat $12 million in dead cap if they move on but could save $9.5 million in space.
Given the limited options at guard when free agency opened, the Vikings may have made the best choice they could. But if Fries can’t stay healthy or return to form, that $88 million deal will draw serious heat.
Leave a Reply