Minnesota Vikings fans might remember how former offensive line coach Chris Kuper struggled mightily in the role last year, which led to his not being retained at the end of the season. It appears he is back at it with the Philadelphia Eagles this season.
Kuper had spent the last four years with the Vikings, coaching their offensive line. Things seemed fine at first, but the unit showed a clear regression in performance. That led to him not being brought back, and he joined the Eagles' offensive coordinator, Sean Mannion, in Philly.
If Vikings fans thought things were bad in Minnesota last year with Kuper, that is starting to look like a pleasure cruise compared to what he has done now. Things are definitely going a lot better with Keith Carter coaching the Vikings' offensive line than they were under Kuper.
Former Minnesota Vikings coach Chris Kuper seems to have destroyed the Eagles' once-proud offensive line
The Eagles' offensive line is going through similar problems to those the Vikings dealt with in 2025, with an overwhelming number of injuries and missing pieces. Minnesota had Donovan Jackson, Christian Darrisaw, Ryan Kelly, and Brian O'Neill all miss multiple games at one point last year.
Philly has dealt with the same thing, with left guard Landon Dickerson missing time with a knee injury, but also losing future Hall of Fame right tackle Lane Johnson to retirement and two-time Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens to a trade. The Eagles' backup center, Drew Kendall, missed time due to a knee injury.
Kuper has not been able to get the Eagles' offensive line rolling this season because of a lack of consistency and continuity. Philly has allowed the third-most sacks this season (30) and ranks 28th in rushing yards per game (88.6).
This was an Eagles offensive line considered the best in the NFL over the last 13 years under Jeff Stoutland. After Stoutland left, Kuper took over, and he hasn't come anywhere close to recapturing Stoutland's magic. Many believe that he may be on the hot seat and might not even finish his first season with the Eagles.
Vikings are enjoying having Keith Carter over Kuper as offensive line coach
Minnesota saw this happening to their team from a mile away if they brought Kuper back. The Vikings made the right decision to move on from him and move forward with Carter taking over.
Last year, Carter was Kuper's assistant offensive line coach. Now that he is coaching the unit, things seem to be trending in the right direction for the first time in a while.
The Vikings' offensive line has shown more stability and consistency this season, aside from Jackson's injury. In fact, Carter has coached up center Blake Brandel into a solid starter over the last month.
The Vikings have allowed 23 sacks in eight games, tying them for 10th, and they have averaged 106 rushing yards per game, ranking 19th. Is it perfect? No, but things are working well for them this season compared to Kuper in Philly.
Last year, Kuper coached an offensive line that averaged 108 rushing yards per game and allowed 60 sacks, tied for the second-most in the NFL. The 2026 Vikings offensive line is projected to allow 49 sacks.
It's clear that while it isn't a major upgrade, the Vikings are in a better spot on the offensive line with Carter than they were with Kuper over the last four years. Minnesota will be watching closely to see how long Kuper lasts in Philly. Carter, meanwhile, has his sights set on getting his unit to clean up after the team's last two losses.
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