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With Kirk Cousins now a member of the Atlanta Falcons, much has been made about who will replace him as the Minnesota Vikings quarterback. But their quarterback selection won't matter if he can't stay upright in the pocket.
That task will be much harder for Minnesota after Dalton Risner was placed on injured reserve, via ESPN's Adam Schefter. The guard's injury has not yet been revealed. However, Risner will now be forced to miss at least the first four games of the season.
The Vikings re-signed Risner after he appeared in 15 games, starting 11 for the team in his debut. He became a key part of the team's offense line at the end of the season, playing every snap from Week 15-17. Risner was lauded for his pass block ability and was clearly respected by Minnesota's decision makers.
But at least to start the season, the Vikings will have to look elsewhere. They're coming off of a season in which they tied for the seventh-most sacks allowed with 47. It'll be even harder to cut down from that number without Risner on the field.
The unknown nature of his injury adds a bit of mystery to the party. But ultimately the Vikings are hopeful Risner won't miss much longer than those first four weeks of the regular season and can once again be a strong contributor on the offensive line.
Sam Darnold ready to step up for Vikings
Whether Dalton Risner is or isn't on the field, Minnesota's offense line will be blocking for veteran quarterback Sam Darnold. While he seemed like a lock to open the year as QB1 regardless, Darnold's leash grew longer with JJ McCarthy suffering a season-ending injury.
Darnold comes to the Vikings with 66 games of NFL experience under his belt. He has gone 21-35 as a starter, throwing for 12,064 yards, 63 touchdowns and 56 interceptions.
While he hasn't lived up to his draft pedigree, the Vikings trust Darnold to be their bridge quarterback into the McCarthy era. Now, he is just getting a strong opportunity than expected. If he can lead the Vikings from under center, the perception surrounding Darnold and his career will change.
However, he can't do much if he is taking sack after sack. The Vikings need their offensive line to step up in the wake of Risner's injury. With McCarthy already done for the year, and now Risner out to start the season, Minnesota can't afford to take on many more injuries.
