Ed Ingram opens up about getting benched by the Vikings last week

While it wasn't something that people were really up in arms about, the Minnesota Vikings caught a few people off guard last Sunday when they revealed that Dalton Risner was going to replace Ed Ingram as the team's starting right guard in their Week 11 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

Prior to last week, Ingram had started 41 games at right guard for the Vikings since joining the team in 2022. On Thursday, he spoke with KSTP's Darren Wolfson and shared a bit about how he's been feeling since Minnesota made its decision to bench him last weekend.

"This is my first time dealing with NFL adversity, so it was definitely hard. It's tough not being out there with my boys, but at the end of the day, I'm taking this as an opportunity to sit back behind [Risner and] watch him. He's an older player, he's a vet, [so I can] learn from him. Focus on my technique, focus on asking coaches questions, and different stuff like that."

Minnesota Vikings guard Ed Ingram knows exactly what he needs to fix

After opening up about being taken out of Minnesota's starting lineup, Ingram also shared with Wolfson what he needs to improve in order to potentially become a starter again.

"[It's] just about me just cleaning up the little things. I feel like I'm great in the run game, but sometimes I fall off blocks. So, it's just about cleaning up those little things that can make me a great player."

He's definitely been a better run blocker than pass blocker during his time with the Vikings, but he hasn't exactly been a "great" run blocker like he claimed.

Heading into Week 12, Ingram's PFF run-blocking grade ranks fifth out of the six Minnesota offensive linemen with at least one start this season, and overall, it ranks 58th in the NFL out of 79 qualifying guards. No one would classify that as great.

But if Ingram is ever going to become a starter for the Vikings again, his ability as a pass blocker needs to significantly improve. Even after sitting out Minnesota's game last week, he's still allowed the most sacks and the second-most pressures on the team this season.

If Ingram can somehow figure out a way to improve as a pass-blocker during his time on the bench, then it's definitely possible that he could be back in the Vikings' starting lineup one day. But it doesn't seem like Minnesota is really in a rush to make that happen anytime soon.

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