The Minnesota Vikings have struggled with injuries this season. While those injuries have happened to multiple position groups this season, the offensive line was hit exceptionally hard by injuries during the 2024 NFL season.
In fact, the starting line for Minnesota has yet to take a single snap as a unit this year, but that trend might end soon if starting center Ryan Kelly can return to the lineup and play with the other four starters.
The Minnesota Vikings have opened the 21-day evaluation window for starting center Ryan Kelly
On Wednesday, the official X account of the Minnesota Vikings shared a post with an update on Ryan Kelly. The post stated that head coach Kevin O'Connell announced that the 21-day evaluation window is now open for the veteran offensive lineman.
Head Coach Kevin O’Connell has announced that the team is opening the 21-day evaluation window for center Ryan Kelly. pic.twitter.com/Lkgwlz4oUV
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 12, 2025
This means the team has 21 days to make a decision on when to place Kelly on the active roster. This would also mean that he has recovered from his concussion that has held him out of action for multiple weeks.
The 32-year-old center has suffered multiple concussions this season, and Minnesota is playing it safe with his return to action. While he has been out, the Vikings have tried a few players to fill in, but have settled on having Blake Brandel handling the duties in his absence.
The Vikings are getting healthy just in time for back-to-back division games. On Sunday, the purple and gold will host the Chicago Bears, and the next week will see them travel across state lines to play the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
A first-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2016, Kelly played for them for nine seasons before joining Minnesota in free agency this offseason. The former Alabama Crimson Tide standout started 121 games at center for the Colts during that time.
With the Vikings, Kelly has started three games but has struggled to stay on the field since then. The four-time Pro Bowl center could be a huge asset for Minnesota if he can return to the lineup and play at a high level.
With how Minnesota's offense struggled in games lately, having their experienced center back in the lineup would be a huge boost to a unit that might be able to help young quarterback J.J. McCarthy and veteran running back Aaron Jones be more productive offensively for the remainder of the 2025 NFL season.