Vikings agree to terms with guard Will Fries on 5-year, $88 million deal: Source

By Alec Lewis, Dianna Russini and RJ Kraft

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The Minnesota Vikings’ No. 1 priority this offseason? Fix the interior of their offensive line.

Will Fries, the top interior offensive lineman to hit free agency and No. 14 on The Athletic’s updated list of the top 150 free agents, is a key cog in that plan.

Fries and the Vikings agreed to terms on a five-year deal worth $88 million on Tuesday, according to multiple league sources.

A seventh-round draft pick out of Penn State by the Colts in 2021, Fries was a success story for Indianapolis’ player development as he grew into an above-average starter at right guard. He became a starter in 2022 and played in all 17 games in 2023. The 2024 season saw Fries suffer a broken right tibia in Week 5 that required surgery and sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

Still, Fries, who turns 27 next month, was one of the Vikings’ primary free-agent targets. The 6-for-6, 305-pounder is known as an excellent run blocker and solid pass blocker who can help set the tone for the entire offensive line.

Fries is not the only addition the Vikings have made this week. The team agreed to terms with center Ryan Kelly and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and re-signed cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.

How he fits

Minnesota views Fries as an answer to the pocket-pressure conundrum.

Age and production were the primary sources of intrigue for the Vikings. Fries is still young. He only played in five games last year before fracturing his tibia — a notable injury that will have to be monitored in the ensuing weeks — but was effective as a run blocker and pass protector. He played solidly in 17 games the season before.

Once the Kansas City Chiefs franchise-tagged Trey Smith, the Vikings viewed Fries as one of the premier guards who would be available. Pairing him with Ryan Kelly, one of his close friends and former teammates, is a bonus.

2025 impact

Minnesota was always likely to move on from its two right guards in 2024: Ed Ingram and Dalton Risner. Ingram, a second-round pick in 2022, was benched in the middle of the season. Risner replaced him and held his own in spurts but was never a quality right guard.

Risner is a free agent, and Ingram is a cut candidate. Neither will factor in over Fries, though Fries’ health is a relevant point of discussion. His leg injury ended his 2024 season, and the lower body is integral to an offensive lineman’s success. If he is as healthy as the Vikings are paying him to be, he should give the Vikings an interior presence they have not had in head coach Kevin O’Connell’s tenure with the team.

Cap update

The Vikings have spent a pretty penny in the last 12 hours. They re-signed cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. to a hefty contract. They agreed to terms Tuesday morning with defensive tackle Jonathan Allen on a three-year deal worth up to $60 million. Now Fries joins the fold with another massive contract, and the Vikings could still be in play for defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.

Minnesota had about $60 million to spend before coming to terms with center Ryan Kelly and these others. There are options to create more cap space, such as releasing Ingram or trading center Garrett Bradbury. The Vikings certainly are running out of room, but the chance to sign all of these players is one of the benefits of having a quarterback on a rookie contract (J.J. McCarthy).

Outlook

The Vikings’ offensive and defensive fronts should look vastly different in 2025. They wanted a more imposing interior, and Fries provides that. Still, signing him does not eliminate the possibility of Minnesota drafting another interior player to further solidify its O-line.

Whatever the case, the Vikings passing attack and running game should benefit from an improved interior. Paired with an enhanced pass rush defensively, both O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores will have interesting new pieces to work with.

One big question remains for the Vikings. Which veteran quarterback will they pair with McCarthy now that Daniel Jones opted to join the Colts over the Vikings? After addressing that, the Vikings will seek further additions on special teams (such as linebacker Eric Wilson) and depth.