The Minnesota Vikings might have a big problem on their hands, and it’s one that many saw coming going into the season. Minnesota entered the 2026 offseason with a clear need at center. Blake Brandel had been taking the majority of the snaps after Ryan Kelly got hurt and subsequently retired, and was fine. Even so, Brandel has never been a consistent center in the entirety of his life. He only learned how to snap in practice and then got thrust into action when the Vikings were on their two-game European trip against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns.

While Brandel was relatively okay, there were some limitations with his game, and it mainly boiled down to snapping. His snapping has not been good, and it has been a consistent problem throughout the course of the 2026 training camp. If the Minnesota Vikings are going to make a serious run at the playoffs, they’re going to have to improve this position.

But what is even out there to improve it? There are two options that are intriguing, but there is concern with both of them.

James Daniels provides the most veteran stability

Daniels is an interesting player going into his age-29 season. The 6-foot-4, 327-pound center/guard out of Iowa was a second-round pick of the Bears in 2018. The last couple of years he has been very injury-prone, suffering a season-ending Achilles injury with the Pittsburgh Steelers after just 209 snaps and then tearing his pectoral muscle on his third snap with the Miami Dolphins in 2025. That’s not exactly a great look for Daniels.

At the same time, he has the ability to snap consistently, play in a zone scheme, and provide enough requisite power to have a strong anchor. The question is whether he can still do that with all those injuries piling up. There is a reason he is a free agent in the middle of August.

Daniels might be the best bet for the Vikings just to have some veteran stability at the position. At the very least, if Brandel really struggles snapping the football, Minnesota can put Daniels in and be consistent in that area even if there are some detriments elsewhere.

Graham Glasgow offers guard/center versatility

Glasgow, the former third-round pick of the Detroit Lions in 2016, provides an interesting element for the Vikings to consider. He spent the first four years with Detroit, then three years with the Denver Broncos before returning to the Lions in 2023. Last season he played 873 snaps with 19 pressures allowed, one sack, and a 98% pass blocking efficiency.

However, there’s a reason Glasgow is no longer in Detroit. He played center extensively last season, serving as the starter, but there are inefficiencies with his game. He is not the player he once was. His Pro Football Focus grade peaked at 74.1 in 2019 and again at 75.1 in 2023, but 2025 brought just a 56.8 overall grade.

Is that going to be better than Brandel because Glasgow is a consistent snapper? It very well could be. But these are the things the Vikings are going to have to weigh. How much will replacing Brandel impact the offensive line as a whole? It’s not just about the snapping. Can one of these veterans do all the other things too? Brandel seems to have a good hold on everything except snapping the football.

It will be worth watching how the Vikings handle it, but they certainly an upgrade going into the season with just Brandel and Michael Juergens at the position.