Vikings Matt Kalil Gets Support From His Brother Ryan

With the Minnesota Vikings scheduled to take on the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, it’s easy to overlook some of the potential details of the matchup. For example, Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil’s older brother Ryan plays center for the Panthers.

Matt Kalil has been getting some harassment from Vikings fans this season because of his frustrating play and relative struggles when it comes to pass blocking. In a recent article from Fox Sports, Ryan Kalil shed some light on what he thinks the issues could be with his brother’s play.

"Oct 13, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Carolina Panthers center Ryan Kalil (67) meets with his brother Minnesota Vikings tackle Matt Kalil (75) after the game at Mall of America Field at H.H.H. Metrodome. Panthers win 35-10. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports“He’s been really frustrated,” Ryan said. “The thing that hurts is just everybody telling him he’s letting the team down, and that’s not what he wants to hear. I don’t think he’s the problem with Minnesota not having a better record. I don’t . . . I think he’s strong, though. I don’t think he’s gone in the tank. I don’t think anything like that. I think he’ll be fine. I think it’s just learning experience.”"

The problem is that Matt Kalil doesn’t seem fine. And Vikings fans aren’t exactly known for their patience when it comes to letting a player work out their issues. In fact, there was an incident that Matt Kalil with a fan after the game against Green Bay. And the Kalil family discussed that issue.

"“I asked my dad if he heard what happened,” Ryan said. “He said, ‘Yeah, I heard the whole thing.’ He said, ‘It was a really ugly deal.’ The guy called him over, said he was a big fan, asked for his autograph. He went over there and then he started saying some pretty ugly stuff to him. So I think my brother just kind of reacted.”"

It’s easy to lose your temper when you’re frustrated like Matt Kalil must be. He is usually a very professional player on and off the field, so that incident was very out of character for the young offensive lineman. Still, this is a situation that Vikings fans will remember for a long time.

Ryan Kalil has a good sense of humor though. He jokingly took responsibility for part of the incident as only a fun loving brother would.

"“It’s probably my fault for picking on him when he was little,” Ryan joked. “Flipping his hat, I think that was the go-to move for me.”"

You can see both Matt and Ryan Kalil on Sunday when the Vikings will host the Carolina Panthers.

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