EAGAN, Minn. – The Vikings have bolstered their offensive line depth.
Minnesota signed center Greg Mancz to its active roster, the team announced Monday. The move came after Austin Schlottmann suffered a fractured fibula against the Packers Sunday, ending his season.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Mancz (pronounced MANTS) was originally an undrafted free agent by the Texans in 2015 and has spent time with Houston, Baltimore, Miami, Buffalo and Cleveland. Mancz most recently was on the Browns 53-man roster but was released on Dec. 23.
The 30-year-old has started 32 of 64 career games and joins a Vikings centers group led by Garrett Bradbury, who has missed the past four contests with a back injury.
Here are five things to know about Mancz:
1. Former Rocket
Mancz was a standout at the University of Toledo, where he maintained a string of 47 starts for the Rockets. In 2014, he was named the MAC Most Valuable Player and won the Vern Smith Leadership Award, which is given to the best player in the Mid-American Conference. He also received First-Team All-MAC honors, Second-Team All-American honors (the only player from the MAC to do so) and was invited to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Mancz was recognized at Toledo for more than his on-field performance, as well.
He was a finalist for the 2014 Wuerffel Trophy, which is given to the college football player "who combines outstanding community service with athletic and academic achievement." He was also a semifinalist for the 2014 William V. Campbell Trophy, which is given to the best scholar-athlete in the nation.
Mancz graduated with a degree in finance.
View photos of the Vikings 53-man roster as of Jan. 14, 2023.

1 K Greg Joseph

1 K Greg Joseph

2 RB Alexander Mattison

2 RB Alexander Mattison

3 CB Cameron Dantzler

3 Cam Dantzler

4 RB Dalvin Cook

4 RB Dalvin Cook

5 WR Jalen Reagor


7 CB Patrick Peterson

7 CB Patrick Peterson

8 QB Kirk Cousins

8 QB Kirk Cousins

12 QB Nick Mullens

12 QB Nick Mullens

66 P Ryan Wright


17 WR K.J. Osborn

17 WR K.J. Osborn

18 WR Justin Jefferson

18 WR Justin Jefferson

19 WR Adam Thielen

19 WR Adam Thielen



22 S Harrison Smith

22 S Harrison Smith

24 S Camryn Bynum

24 S Camryn Bynum

25 S Theo Jackson

25 S Theo Jackson

26 RB Kene Nwangwu

26 RB Kene Nwangwu

27 CB Kalon Barnes

27 CB Kalon Barnes

29 CB Kris Boyd

29 CB Kris Boyd

30 FB C.J. Ham

30 FB C.J. Ham

32 RB Ty Chandler

32 RB Ty Chandler

33 LB Brian Asamoah

33 LB Brian Asamoah

39 CB Chandon Sullivan

39 CB Chandon Sullivan

42 LS Andrew DePaola

42 LS Andrew DePaola

43 LB Luiji Vilain

43 OLB Luiji Vilain

44 S Josh Metellus

44 S Josh Metellus

45 LB Troy Dye

45 LB Troy Dye

47 LB William Kwenkeu

47 LB William Kwenkeu

54 LB Eric Kendricks


55 LB Za'Darius Smith

55 OLB Za'Darius Smith

56 C Garrett Bradbury

56 C Garett Bradbury

58 LB Jordan Hicks

58 LB Jordan Hicks

62 G/C Chris Reed

62 G/C Chris Reed

63 T Vederian Lowe

63 T Vederian Lowe

64 T Blake Brandel

64 T Blake Brandel

67 G Ed Ingram


71 T Christian Darrisaw

71 T Christian Darrisaw

72 G Ezra Cleveland

72 G Ezra Cleveland

74 G Olisaemeka Udoh

74 G Olisaemeka Udoh

83 WR Jalen Nailor

83 WR Jalen Nailor

84 TE Irv Smith Jr.

84 TE Irv Smith Jr.

86 TE Johnny Mundt

86 TE Johnny Mundt



90 DL Esezi Otomewo


91 OLB Patrick Jones II

91 DE Patrick Jones II

92 DT James Lynch

92 DT James Lynch

93 DL Jonathan Bullard

93 DL Jonathan Bullard

94 DT Dalvin Tomlinson

94 DT Dalvin Tomlinson

95 DL Khyiris Tonga

95 DL Khyiris Tonga

96 DT Ross Blacklock

96 DT Ross Blacklock

97 DL Harrison Phillips

97 DL Harrison Phillips

98 DE D.J. Wonnum

98 DE D.J. Wonnum

99 OLB Danielle Hunter

99 DE Danielle Hunter
2. Committed to the community
Mancz's community efforts didn't slow when he got to the NFL.
In every city he's played for, he's made sure to give back in numerous ways, from being involved with Fernside Cincinnati, a nonprofit focused on children navigating grief, to playing in the Bills annual charity softball game.
Mancz also participates every season in the NFL's My Cause My Cleats campaign. Over the years, he's supported organizations that include the Houston Food Bank, Fernside and Bo's Place.
3. A father's memory
Mancz's passion for supporting children experiencing grief comes from his own childhood experience.
When Mancz was just 11 years old, his father Brian experienced a medical emergency at home and, despite life-saving measures taken by Mancz's mother and first responders, Brian passed away.
Some of Mancz's most special memories revolve around watching NFL games with his father, who inspired his football journey.

4. World traveler
During the 2018 offseason, Mancz traveled to New Zealand with former Texans teammate Brian Peters, who spent the 2015 offseason with Minnesota and part of that season on the Vikings practice squad.
The two visited Devil's Punchbowl Falls, Hokitika, Fox Glacier, Lake Wanaka, the Blue Pools, Roys Peak, the Routeburn Track, Lake Wakatipu, the Remarkables mountain range and enjoyed a helicopter tour, during which Mancz had an opportunity to fly the aircraft.
The vacation was an unforgettable adventure for the friends, especially after Peters had been displaced from his home the previous year due to Hurricane Harvey. Mancz was among those who showed up to assist Peters in cleanup efforts.
Mancz also has traveled to Bora Bora.
5. Always up for some fun
Traverse Mancz's Instagram page (@gregmancz), and you'll see he's always up to have a good time with friends.
This past Halloween, Mancz and his fiancée Emma (the two recently got engaged over Christmas) dressed as characters from the film Blades of Glory. For a Texans Halloween party in 2017, he went as Michelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
And earlier this year, Emma threw Mancz a Hawaiian-themed 30th birthday party.
