Minnesota Vikings right tackle Brian O’Neill went down in the second quarter of Sunday’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, clutching his knee after a Will Reichard field goal. Trainers immediately rushed in as O’Neill remained on the ground, drawing concern from teammates who gathered around him. The scene turned tense as the veteran lineman, a cornerstone of Minnesota’s offensive front, was eventually helped up but moved gingerly toward the medical tent.

As of now, there has been no official update on the severity of O’Neill’s injury. Alec Lewis of The Athletic noted on X, “Oh boy. On the Will Reichard field goal, Brian O’Neill fell down. He’s down, trainers looking at him.”

Vikings captains were seen kneeling nearby in support, underscoring the gravity of the moment. His status moving forward will be closely monitored, as any extended absence would be a major blow for Kevin O’Connell’s offense.

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Five minutes later, Steelers insider, Alan Saunders reported that O’Neill is questionable to return after a knee injury.

After O’Neill exited, swing tackle Justin Skule filled in, but his early-season struggles while subbing for Christian Darrisaw raise concerns.

Though O’Neill wasn’t immediately ruled out. His trip to the locker room signals potential seriousness, and if he’s sidelined, the Vikings will be forced to dig deeper into their right tackle depth.

According to the Vikings depth chart, Walter Rouse, drafted in the 6th round 2024 draft pick, is the first option.

But he is inactive.

So, that leaves the Vikings with Matt Nelson. He signed with the Vikings in 2024. However, all of this will come into question only after a final update on O’Neill, who has played in all three games for the Vikings and started in each of them. 

Vikings’ struggle with injuries continues 

It appears that the Vikings’ struggles with injuries in the offensive room are here to stay for a long time and will likely intensify over time. Their star offensive tackle, Christian Darrisaw, has already missed the first week of the season. Ryan Kelly missed week 2 and was back for today’s game, but he had a concussion and has entered the league’s concussion protocol. He has been ruled out of today’s game.

But this is not it. Left guard Donovan Jackson, who had a wrist injury against the Cincinnati Bengals, is also undergoing surgery for the same. Although he played well for the first three games and had 56 snaps against Cincinnati, he was not available for today’s game.

With all these injuries and the addition of O’Neill to the list, things have become quite complicated for the Vikings’ offense. The most difficult challenge for the Vikings post multiple injuries will be to maintain a cohesive and effective line, essential for both the passing and rushing games.