Arif Hasan, formerly of The Athletic, analyzed the consequences of the signing, which will not be known until Risner takes the field against the Chargers this Sunday.
“It is uncommon for a rookie offensive lineman to start their first year in the NFL, be benched in their second year, and then return to the starting lineup later in their career. If this is what the Vikings are doing, they might as well give up on Ingram for good, even if they say otherwise,” Hasan said.
Given that the Vikings had Risner in the building for a visit during training camp, this week’s decision to sign him and potentially replace Ingram may draw some attention.
“If that’s the case, the Vikings’ choice to let Risner leave the building during training camp despite believing he was a starting offensive tackle is weird. Surely, Ingram could have used the competition. It’s possible that Risner’s asking price was too high at the time and then decreased, but it’s not like they lost his phone number in the interim,” Hasan added.
Risner, 28, agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract on September 18, making him the highest-paid guard on the Vikings’ roster. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert doubts the Vikings would pay him that much to be a backup.
