Vikings put O’Neill, Schlottmann on IR, sign 2 linemen
The Minnesota Vikings have officially lost two offensive linemen for the rest of the season.
Tuesday, the team put right tackle Brian O’Neill and center Austin Schlottmann on injured reserve, ending their seasons.
Both suffered “significant” leg injuries against Green Bay on Sunday, Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell said.
The move cuts further into the Vikings’ already thin offensive line depth, as Schlottmann was already filling in for center Garrett Bradbury and backup tackle Blake Brandel is also out for the season.
To add depth, the team signed free agent offensive lineman Greg Mancz to the roster and also added tackle Bobby Evans to the practice squad.
Mancz, 30, was most recently with Cleveland before being released on Dec. 23. He’s also spent time with Houston, Baltimore, Miami and Buffalo in his career, and has started 32 of the 64 career games he’s played in.
Evans, 25, was a third-round pick of the Rams in 2019 and started four of the 12 games he played for the team before being released recently.
The Vikings released linebacker Chris Garrett, a former standout at Concordia-St. Paul, from the practice squad to make room for Evans.