Vikings RT Brian O'Neill injured in first half against Raiders

Vikings right tackle Brian O'Neill had to be helped off the field by trainers late in the first half of today's game against the Raiders in Vegas.

This has been a rough start to the afternoon for Minnesota. First Justin Jefferson got hurt in his return to action — he's questionable to return with a chest injury as of this writing — and now O'Neill may have suffered a significant injury. While that was happening, the game remains 0-0 at halftime.

The Raiders had four sacks in the first half, two of them by All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby. He dominated O'Neill on his first sack and then chased down Josh Dobbs as he tried to escape the pocket for his second. On that play, which happened in the final minutes of the second quarter, something happened to O'Neill's lower body and he remained on the ground after the whistle.

Eventually, O'Neill was helped up and limped off the field with trainers at his side. He has now joined Jefferson in the locker room for evaluation — and it doesn't look great.

O'Neill, a 2021 Pro Bowler who is among the game's highest-paid and highest-graded right tackles, missed the final two games of the 2022 regular season and the Vikings' first-round playoff loss with an Achilles injury. He had been playing at his usual high level this season before struggling against the Bears a couple weeks ago and struggling against Crosby in this first half.

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.