Vikings tackle Brian O'Neill is getting closer and closer to a full return

Vikings right tackle Brian O'Neill is getting closer and closer to a full return from the Achilles injury he suffered in Green Bay a little over eight months ago. During Sunday's practice, O'Neill participated in team periods for the first time this training camp.

"I was excited, real excited," O'Neill told reporters after practice. "I'm just trying to follow the plan they got for me. It's time to shake off some rust. We're right on schedule, (trainers) are doing a great job. We're not there yet, but we will be."

O'Neill will presumably get some work during this week's joint practices against the Titans. The Cardinals will be in town next week for two more joint practices, and then preparation for the regular season opener against the Buccaneers on September 10th will kick into high gear. All offseason, the Vikings have brought O'Neill along slowly with a clear-cut plan to get him ready for Week 1.

Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips liked what he saw from O'Neill's return to padded 11-on-11 action.

"It was great to see Brian out there," Phillips said on Monday. "He looked really good yesterday. Credit to Tyler (Williams) and his team and then Brian himself for the work he's put in with that type of injury. He looked athletic, he was even doing some things that he had worked on somehow, without having an Achilles over this offseason — some of the things with his punch and his sets, where actually we were saying 'Wow, that looks even better than what we saw before.'"

"I know he's been really hungry to get out there," Phillips added. "He's obviously one of our leaders, one of our captain players on this team, so it was great to see."

O'Neill, who turns 28 next month, is entering his sixth NFL season. He made his first Pro Bowl in 2021 and is among the game's highest-paid right tackles.