Ryan Kelly’s Absence Forces New Vikings Starter to Step Up vs. Bengals

The Minnesota Vikings need a better performance from their offensive line if they want to compete in the NFC this season. That task became more difficult when starting center Ryan Kelly suffered a concussion midway through the team's Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Kelly was signed to a two-year, $18 million contract this season. However, after suffering his fourth documented concussion since the start of the 2025 season, he was ruled out ahead of Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. While head coach Kevin O’Connell noted that it was a good sign Kelly got back on the practice field Friday afternoon, it also creates a hole that must be filled in the short term by second-year center Michael Jurgens.

Vikings’ Michael Jurgens Must Show His Worth in Week 3 Start vs. Bengals

Jurgens was a seventh-round pick by the Vikings in the 2024 draft but essentially had a redshirt year behind starter Garrett Bradbury during his rookie season. Before that, Jurgens was a solid starter at Wake Forest, establishing himself as one of the best pass-blocking guards in the nation after breaking into the starting lineup in 2021.

In three years as a starter, Jurgens allowed 25 pressures on 1,313 pass-blocking snaps for a pressure rate of 1.9%, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF also gave Jurgens a rave review on their grading system with a pass blocking grade of 80.0 in 2021, 75.5 in 2022, and 81.2 in 2023. With a high IQ, Jurgens seemed like a fit at center, although NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wasn’t sure how well he would make the transition to the league.

“Jurgens uses accurate hands and consistent footwork to fit blocks with good centering, but he doesn’t have the core strength needed to displace opponents or keep him from being pulled and shoved off balance by a strong nose tackle,” Zierlein wrote in his scouting report. “He’s fairly average as an athlete but he does see the field well in pass protection and steadies the gaps around him.”

Zierlein's report is similar to what Vikings fans saw in Bradbury, who was, at times, thrown around by bigger, stronger nose tackles at the start of his tenure in Minnesota. But it’s also what showed up Sunday when he was thrust into action against the Falcons, allowing one pressure but a 45.2 PFF grade on 16 pass-blocking snaps.

There’s also something to be said about the current state of the offensive line. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell noted that several miscommunications up front didn’t give J.J. McCarthy a chance to get the ball out on Sunday night, one of which happened when Kelly left the game.

You could pin the struggles on a young quarterback failing to slide protections. But something seemed to be lost in translation on a night where the Falcons pressured McCarthy on 53.3% of his dropbacks and sacked him six times.

The potential return of Christian Darrisaw on the left side could lead to some improvement. Switching to veteran Carson Wentz could also help, although he’s been in Minnesota for less than a month, which could lead to some confusion on Sunday. Regardless, Jurgens will need to validate the belief the front office has shown in him thus far and be part of the solution in the trenches.

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