Vikings make necessary move to fortify the roster amid multitude of injuries

The Minnesota Vikings are dealing with a ton of injuries across the board, but the biggest ones are on the offensive line. Left tackle Brian O’Neill is likely to miss this week and possibly more, as he’s currently week-to-week. Left guard Donovan Jackson had wrist surgery and could return after the bye week. Blake Brandel […]

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Aug 12, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Matt Waletzko (79) at the line of scrimmage in the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at AT&T Stadium.
Aug 12, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Matt Waletzko (79) at the line of scrimmage in the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at AT&T Stadium. Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings are dealing with a ton of injuries across the board, but the biggest ones are on the offensive line.

Left tackle Brian O’Neill is likely to miss this week and possibly more, as he’s currently week-to-week. Left guard Donovan Jackson had wrist surgery and could return after the bye week. Blake Brandel was solid in his place, but it’s definitely a step backward. Center Ryan Kelly is still dealing with a concussion, and Michael Jurgens is playing in his place.

Minnesota Vikings add offensive line help with injuries mounting

The Vikings were getting into a borderline desperate situation if they had one more injury on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially with Walter Rouse inactive for the game. They addressed it on Tuesday by signing offensive tackle Matt Waletzko to the practice squad and releasing wide receiver Tim Jones.

Waletzko is a Minnesota native, attending Rocori High School in Cold Spring, Minnesota. He also attended the University of North Dakota and played well enough for the Dallas Cowboys to select him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

His NFL career was mostly derailed by shoulder injuries, and he ended up getting released in August of 2025. He has the ability to be a swing tackle for the Vikings, and could end up getting elevated for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns.

Hopefully, this is only a one-week issue with O’Neill, Jackson, and Kelly potentially returning after the bye in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles. If there was another injury, tight end Josh Oliver might have been forced into action.

Sunday’s game will be an interesting one for the Vikings, especially as they go against Myles Garrett and a very talented defensive line.

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