Vikings’ Left Tackle Now Has a Firm Number to Continue his Contract
K. Joudry
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At 23rd overall in 2021, Minnesota opted for Christian Darrisaw coming out of Virginia Tech. The Vikings’ left tackle was an absolute steal.
Some will remember that Rick Spielman actually traded down to acquire the pick to snag Mr. Darrisaw. The Vikings owned the 14th selection but were interested in adding more, so Spielman lived up to his “Slick Rick” moniker by trading down for the 23rd, 66th, and 86th selections. The final two selections — QB Kellen Mond and RG Wyatt Davis — ended up going very poorly, but the Darrisaw selection was a home run. Even better is that we now know how much it will cost to keep him around in 2025.
The 5th-Year Option and The Vikings’ Left Tackle
The NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero came through with the news, providing the update about how much the option will cost for the 2021 NFL Draft. Take a look at the range of possible outcomes for Darrisaw’s 5th year:
- $20,985,000 (2+ Pro Bowls)
- $19,040,000 (1 Pro Bowl)
- $16,037,000 (Snap Total)
- $15,313,000 (Neither PB nor Snaps)
Darrisaw currently stands behind Door No. 3: $16,037,000. That’s what the Pelissero tweet suggests and it’s where Spotrac is projecting things for 2025.
He hasn’t made it to a Pro Bowl, an odd reality given the excellent start to his career. Part of the reason for his omission comes down to some of the top-tier OT talent that exists in the NFC. Trent Williams rightly commands a pile of respect, but then one also thinks of Penei Sewell, Lane Johnson, and Tristan Wirfs (among others).
Also working against the Vikings’ left tackle has been health. He has yet to play a full season since entering the NFL. Darrisaw has been a part of 12 games (2021), 14 games (2022), and 15 games (2023).
Keep in mind, however, that his snaps have increased throughout his career: 653 snaps in 2021, 853 snaps in 2022, and 982 snaps in 2023. He has been getting in there for the majority of the playing time, but one wonders if he’ll only get widespread recognition if he starts putting in 16 or 17-game seasons (which is to say nothing of the playoffs).
Darrisaw is carrying a $4.246 million cap charge into 2024. He’s going into Year 4, so he’s moving into the final season of being a total bargain.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah needs to make the call by May 2nd (per Pelissero), but the decision is already a 99.99% certainty. There’s basically no reason not to pick up the left tackle’s extension.
He is 24 and is perfectly built to be an NFL offensive lineman by standing at 6’5″ and weighing 315 pounds. His mitts are deceptively powerful, seemingly needing very little effort to knock a defensive lineman back. And his athleticism allows him to get into space to bulldoze overwhelmed defenders.
So while he isn’t perfect, Christian Darrisaw is excellent. Very soon, the NFL more broadly may see what Minnesota has seen for three years: the young LT is among the game’s preeminent big men.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, Spotrac, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.