Dalton

Risner

The veteran guard will make his team debut in Week 9 and could force his way back into the starting lineup after starting 11 games in 15 appearances for the Vikings a season ago.

Like T.J. Hockenson (knee, injured reserve), Risner was ruled out earlier Thursday. The hope is that he is ready for Week 9. Joining Risner and Hockenson on the shelf are QB Brett Rypien, CB Akayleb Evans, CB Dwight McGlothern, RB Myles Gaskin, DL Levi Drake Rodriguez, LB Blake Cashman and OT Walter Rouse.

Risner was placed on injured reserve with a back injury to open the season and could not practice for much of the offseason. The veteran guard started in 11 of the 15 games he appeared in last season for the Vikings, and could find his way back in the starting lineup once he’s officially cleared to return. The Vikings have 21 days to officially activate from Risner, so there’s no guarantee we see him in Week 7 against the Lions.

We don’t know the specifics of Risner’s injury, but the veteran guard will now miss at least the first four games of the season while working his way back to the gridiron. There was some speculation that the Vikings would cut Risner after he missed much of the offseason, but they will instead give him time to work his way back to the field. Risner played on 745 offensive snaps for the Vikings last season, earning a PFF blocking grade of 57.1. He was brought back on a one-year deal after his strong first season with the team.

Risner is a proven blocker in the passing game, reliably producing PFF pass-blocking grades ranging from 67.4-to-73.6 in his five-year NFL career. Risner’s re-signing fortifies Minnesota’s offensive line as an above-average pass-protection unit for first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s rookie season.

Risner visited with the Broncos earlier this offseason but left without a deal. The veteran guard was regarded as one of the better offensive linemen on the market, and could have a chance to start for a Vikings line that has already been dealt some injuries. Risner is 28 years old and started all 62 games he appeared in for the Broncos since 2019.

Widely considered the top offensive linemen remaining on the free agent market, Risner’s market has been almost nonexistent this offseason. The Vikings return all five starters along the offensive line from a season ago but lack depth on the interior, making Risner a good fit assuming he is fully recovered from the season-ending elbow injury that ended his 2022 season.

His season is over. Risner will hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. Turning 28 in July, the guard has a pronounced trend of being a good pass blocker and a mediocre run blocker over each of his four seasons in the NFL. He’ll likely find a path to a starting job, but whether he gets solid starter money or reclamation project money probably depends on how strong his connections are. Quinn Bailey will likely start for Denver in Week 18.

Risner was placed on IR with an elbow injury at the end of last season and might wind up there again in 2023. Risner had played and started almost every game for Denver this year despite being a regular on their injury report. Quinn Bailey replaced him and would start in Week 18 if Risner is unable to go against the Chargers.

Risner played just four snaps last week against the Chargers before going down. Now officially out for Week 18 against the Chiefs, Risner will have missed three games this season. He had a pretty strong third season, grading out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 28 guard out of 83 qualifiers, receiving especially strong marks for his pass blocking. Risner is a piece for the Broncos to build around up front.