The Minnesota Vikings entered last offseason determined to improve upon a 14-3 record in 2024 that ultimately ended in a 27-9 wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. That led to an aggressive offseason spending spree in which the Vikings spent $262,532,500 on free agents, the second-highest total in the league.

Of course, Minnesota not only failed to improve on its 2024 season but also missed the postseason entirely in 2025. Much of the blame was pointed at the quarterback position, but the money allocated to outside free agents didn't pay off.

For this series, we'll review the free agent acquisitions the Vikings made in 2025. Not every player was a bust, but few lived up to their offseason billing. Combined with instability at quarterback, the season was likely doomed from the start.

Minnesota signed nine-year veteran center Ryan Kelly to provide stability for J.J. McCarthy. Unfortunately, Kelly’s season was defined more by absences than impact, as injuries limited him to just eight games.

Contract: Two years/ $18 million

Games: 8

PFF Grade: 82.2, highest among all Vikings offensive players (min. 200 snaps)

Key Stats: 1 sack, 3 hurries, and 4 total pressures allowed (all per PFF)

Kelly's season was frustrating because of the positive impact he brought when he played. Unfortunately, he suffered four documented concussions in 2025, forcing the Vikings to shuffle the center position constantly.

When backup Michael Jurgens went down, the Vikings moved Blake Brandel to center — a position he had never played in college or the NFL.

To his credit, Kelly continued to fight back into the lineup. But he already had a concussion history (three documented in 2023), which raised questions about not only his 2025 season, but the rest of his career.

Like McCarthy, Kelly was in and out of the lineup. Perhaps that played a role in McCarthy's struggles early in the season.

But it may also partially explain McCarthy's three-game stretch in December, during which he completed 65.5% of his passes, throwing five touchdowns and two interceptions.

Of course, the Vikings' competition wasn't great, as they faced poor defenses from the Commanders, Cowboys, and Giants. But McCarthy struggled against weaker defenses earlier in the season without Kelly in the lineup.

Minnesota was banking on Kelly to help McCarthy make protection calls at the line of scrimmage in 2025. Instead, Kelly was limited to only three games during the Vikings' 4-6 start. He returned and played well, though Minnesota lost the next two games, effectively eliminating them from the postseason before playing a game in December.

Kelly will be 33 when the 2026 season kicks off. He also has an out in his contract this offseason that allows the Vikings to move on from him while only taking on a $3.3675 million dead cap hit.

That's assuming Kelly even wants to play again. His concussion troubles could make him decide to retire before doing any more damage to his long-term health.

Some players sign contracts and underachieve. Others get injured and can never show their potential.

Kelly proved he could still play at a high level, but availability ultimately defined his season. The Vikings will need a more reliable solution at center moving forward, whether that comes through free agency or the draft.

Grade: C