When Ryan Kelly joined the Vikings this offseason, the hope was that he’d shore up the interior line and give the team stronger pass protection. He hasn’t lived up to the hype just yet, to say the least. And things turned from bad to worse now that he is headed to the locker room in the Falcons game.

Yes, Michael Jurgens is stepping in at center for the Vikings with Ryan Kelly out in the locker room. Kelly is now being evaluated for a concussion. Hence, it’s unclear if he’ll be able to return to the contest. According to Ben Goessling, that means “They’ve now got two backups playing on either side of their rookie left guard.”

Yes, what should’ve been a simple centre-to-quarterback exchange went sideways, killing the drive. Not long after, Ryan Kelly was spotted heading off for concussion evaluation. As of now, it’s unclear whether he’ll return to the pitch or not. And that’s a big blow for the Vikings.

Minnesota didn’t chase Ryan Kelly in free agency just to plug a hole. They wanted a tone-setter in the middle, someone who could calm the pocket and lift the entire interior. That’s why they put down two years and $18 million. The front office was convinced Kelly’s vet credit and pass-pro chops could be the glue for this offensive line.

That move was part of a bigger interior overhaul. Minnesota also added Will Fries in free agency and drafted Donovan Jackson, showing they were serious about fixing the center/guard spots after a full offseason of roster shuffling. The idea was simple: Kelly’s veteran IQ and steady track record would cut down on those sloppy snaps and keep the quarterback from constantly feeling heat up the middle.

And yes, the Kelly signing makes sense (to some extent). He’s a four-time Pro Bowler, after all. But you probably knew he wasn’t going to play more than 8-10 games. Kelly suited up for only 10 games in 2024 after battling knee issues and a stint on IR, and it’s not the first time injuries have slowed him down. Oh, and lower-body and head/neck concerns have popped up at different points throughout his career. It was always going to be a big risk.

And his absence makes the Vikings’ already-diminished O-line even weaker.

Kelly’s exit makes a thin Vikings O-line even thinner

The Vikings were already banged up coming in, with Christian Darrisaw’s status in question and a few other practice-week concerns thinning the depth chart. So when your veteran center goes down, even for a drive, it forces reshuffling that can throw off both the run game and protection schemes.

On paper, the Vikings did upgrade the interior this offseason. Sure, adding Kelly, Will Fries, and rookie Donovan Jackson gave the line a fresh look. But the depth chart behind them is still razor-thin. The depth chart shows Michael Jurgens and just a handful of reserves backing up the starters. If Kelly misses real time, Minnesota would have to lean on those second-tier options to keep the QB’s timing clean and the run-game gaps from collapsing.

And when you look at the lack of depth in the Vikings’ roster, it goes beyond front office decisions. They’ve had a hard luck with injuries so far. To put things into perspective, there are currently 15 players on their injury report. That tells you all you need to know.

As for Kelly, availability is key. He’s still got the ability, there’s no doubt about that. But he needs to be on the pitch. Because up till now, he hasn’t justified that $18 million ($9 million guaranteed) contract. Troubling times for O’Connell.