The Vikings moved on from Garrett Bradbury last year and signed Ryan Kelly as the short-term solution. It proved to be very short-term, and now the Vikings may have a problem at center heading into the 2026 season.

The Vikings Have A Problem at Center

Kelly only played eight games for Minnesota because of a series of concussions, something that had already been an issue during his time at Indianapolis. It caused Kelly to take the sensible decision to retire, but it left the Vikings in the lurch. Another solution was needed for the 2026 season. Minnesota could have gone to the free-agent center market again and signed someone like Cade Mays or Tyler Biadasz. 

Alternatively, they could have drafted a promising rookie like Sam Hecht, Logan Jones, Connor Lew, or Jake Slaughter. There were plenty of options out there but the only new addition made was Gavin Gerhardt, a rookie drafted in the seventh round of this year’s draft.

It came as a surprise to me as I expected center to be a position of priority during this offseason, but no, the plan is to fully transition Blake Brandel to the starting center.

Blake Brandel to be Week 1 Starter

Brandel will be a Week 1 starter at center for the very first time. It’s a big ask for a guy with very little experience at the position. Before replacing the injured Kelly last season, the 29-year-old Brandel had never snapped a ball in a competitive game. The other option aside from Gerhardt is Michael Jurgens, now in his third year with the team since being drafted in the seventh round back in 2027.

Jurgens was an older player when he was drafted and if he’s not deemed ready to take the job ahead of a guy who is not really a center, you have to feel that he never will be. It leaves the Vikings in a precarious position at one of the most important positions in football.

Center is about much more than whether you can block – Brandel has proved adequate if not good in that department – it is the nuances of the position that really matter. Most notably, there’s his capacity to snap.

Is the Brandel Experiment Destined for Failure?

I am entirely unconvinced that a switch to center at this point of his career is a good idea and we certainly can’t call him the solution at the position until he proves himself over a 17-game season. Picking up the nuances of the position while also dealing with elite interior pass rushers is going to be a big ask.

I’m not going to completely dismiss the possibility of it being a successful transition but with Brandel having trouble snapping the ball cleanly during training camp I’m not exactly brimming with confidence.

There is another issue with Brandel’s move to center. It leaves the Vikings light on the depth chart at guard behind the starters – Will Fries and Donovan Jackson. Brandel provided a solid depth player at guard that hasn’t been adequately replaced.

The plan seems to be to transition the position of another lineman, with Walter Rouse moving from tackle to guard this year. What happens if there is an injury to Fries or Jackson? Does Rouse get thrown in? Does Brandel move back out and does Jurgens come into center? Neither is a particularly satisfactory option.

The interior of the offensive line has long been a problem in Minnesota, and this year they are taking a big gamble at center, when the rest of the Vikings offensive line should be strong.

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

Advertisement