Chances of Dalton Risner re-signing with Vikings might have recently increased

Prior to the start of the 2023 regular season, the Minnesota Vikings brought in free-agent offensive lineman Dalton Risner for a visit. Risner had been a starting guard with the Denver Broncos during the previous four seasons, and he had a connection to current Vikings offensive line coach Chris Kuper.

No immediate signing came out of the visit, but a few weeks later, Minnesota officially signed Risner to a one-year contract. He went on to start 11 games for the Vikings, and he finished the 2023 campaign with the third-best pass-blocking grade from PFF among all Minnesota offensive linemen, behind only Brian O'Neill and Christian Darrisaw.

This year, Risner is a free agent again, and some thought the Vikings bringing him back would be a no-brainer. That hasn't happened yet, but after the offensive lineman recently made a significant change, a return to Minnesota might still be a possibility.

Former Minnesota Vikings guard Dalton Risner hires a new agent

Still without a new contract in the NFL, Risner has apparently made a change to avoid remaining unsigned for multiple months for the second straight offseason.

According The Athletic's Alec Lewis, the former Vikings offensive lineman recently fired his agent and hired Drew Rosenhaus to represent him moving forward.

Rosenhaus is longtime agent and he has represented some of the most notable current and past NFL players during his career, including Terrell Owens, Tyreek Hill, Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, and current Minnesota players Aaron Jones, Jonathan Greenard, Josh Metellus, and Brandon Powell.

Considering Risner's new agent has already helped three of his clients sign new contracts with Minnesota this year (Jones, Greenard, and Powell), perhaps he can now help figure out a way for the veteran offensive lineman to remain in purple and gold for at least one more season.

Currently, Blake Brandel seems to be who the Vikings could be rolling with as their starting left guard for the 2024 season. Brandel re-signed with Minnesota earlier this month, and the team gave him a three-year contract, which has led some to believe the Vikings might be interested in giving him a larger role moving forward.

Since Minnesota brought him into the NFL as a sixth-round round pick in the 2020 draft, Brandel has started a total of five games as both an offensive tackle and a guard. In two starts at right guard last season, he allowed seven pressures and one sack.

So, will the Vikings decide to go with Brandel as their new starting left guard, or will they choose to bring Risner back for another season with the franchise?

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