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Kevin Seifert, ESPN Staff Writer
Veteran guard Dalton Risner is re-signing with the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year deal, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday.
The Vikings had re-signed backup offensive line Blake Brandel to a three-year contract that will pay him $3.25 million in 2024, indicating that he would get a chance to compete for the starting left guard position. Brandel worked with the first team during early OTAs, but now Risner has returned to the mix.
Risner made 11 starts for the Vikings last season after signing with the team in September, impressing them with his pass blocking and also his energy in the run game.
A second-round pick of the Broncos in 2019, Risner spent four seasons as a starter in Denver before hitting free agency after the 2022 season. Considered one of the top guards on the market, Risner did not get an offer he wanted to sign and decided instead to await interest from a team that needed help once seeing their depth on the field in training camp.
Risner, 28, visited the Vikings in August and the sides kept in touch until another team expressed interest in mid-September. That put into motion a series of events that led him to signing a one-year, $4 million deal with the Vikings on Sept. 18.
He participated in special teams during his first three weeks in Minnesota before starting left guard Ezra Cleveland suffered a foot injury. That elevated Risner into the starting lineup, and the Vikings decided to part ways with Cleveland, dealing him to the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Oct. 31 trade deadline.
Risner has appeared in 77 games (73 starts) in his career.