Dalton

Risner

Risner joined the Bengals last offseason after he was let go by the Vikings after training camp. The veteran guard appeared in 14 games for the Bengals last season while making 11 starts, and did more than enough to warrant an extension this offseason. Risner played on 768 snaps last season and allowed only two sacks, per TruMedia.

He’ll probably step in as an instant starter at right guard, with the Lucas Patrick and Cody Ford tandem struggling in the preseason. Risner had a 67.0 PFF blocking grade in 2024 and has been roughly an adequate guard over his six NFL seasons. That makes him a huge upgrade on what the Bengals had in-house. Risner took visits with the Bengals and Seahawks before picking Cincinnati.

Risner visited the Bengals on Tuesday and will continue his visits with the Seahawks. Seattle just added first-rounder Grey Zabel to the interior offensive line, but is looking to add depth to a group that struggled last season. Fowler also reports Risner is considering visiting the Steelers. The 30-year-old wants to take multiple visits as the preseason winds down before making a decision.

Risner, 30, has 81 career starts to his name and spent last season with the Vikings. The veteran guard earned a PFF blocking grade of 67.0 last season while starting all eight games he appeared in after returning from a back injury that kept him out for the first 10 weeks of the season. Risner would provide plenty of experience to an interior offensive line whose current projected starters include a rookie third-round pick and a 32-year-old vet in Lucas Patrick.

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.