A day after signing former Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly, the Minnesota Vikings have reportedly agreed to a lucrative contract with another former member of the Colts, guard Will Fries.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Tuesday, the Vikings and Fries have reportedly agreed to a five-year deal worth $88 million. Fries has lined up at right guard throughout the majority of his NFL career, so he is expected to take over that starting spot for the upcoming season.
The signing is another move in the right direction for Minnesota, who are now looking to make sure they can provide quarterback J.J. McCarthy with as much protection as possible when he takes over as the team's starting signal-caller in 2025.
Minnesota Vikings reportedly sign former Indianapolis Colts guard Will Fries
After allowing seven sacks in the team's playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams last season, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell made it very clear that the team needed to make some big improvements to the interior of their offensive line. With the reported additions of Kelly and Fries, Minnesota is doing just that.
Now, there are some injury concerns with Fries since his 2024 season was cut short after he suffered a broken leg in a Week 5 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Judging by the reported amount the Vikings have agreed to pay him, however, it doesn't seem like they're too concerned about his health moving forward.
With the addition of Fries, it seems safe to say that Dalton Risner won't be returning to Minnesota for another season, and Ed Ingram will likely have to fight for a spot on the team's roster during training camp this summer.
It's been a while since the Vikings have spent a significant amount of money on the interior of their offensive line. But with the way things went down in Minnesota's playoff loss last season, they didn't have much of a choice.
