Vikings LT Christian Darrisaw Uncertain for Sunday
Minnesota Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw did not practice Wednesday or Thursday and is unlikely to play Sunday against the New York Giants, according to the team’s injury report and comments from those around the situation.
Christian Darrisaw Misses Practice, Status in Doubt
Standout tackle Darrisaw has been stuck in the final stage of his recovery timeline all season. He was forced to sit out the first two games of the season, but returned in Week 3. Well, since then, he has missed two entire games and left several others early.
Darrisaw was sidelined last week against the Cowboys. This week, according to the official injury report, he missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday and when reporters wanted to chat with him, he declined.
ESPN’s Vikings reporter Kevin Seifert noted after practice, “Christian Darrisaw said he preferred not to talk today when approached in the locker room. He said he couldn’t answer a question about whether he will play again this season.”
Expecting questions about his status, Darrisaw had no interest in revealing his next steps. One thing is clear: The Vikings have been eliminated from playoff contention and shut down defenders Jonathan Greenard and Joshua Metellus right after. Both will undergo shoulder surgery to end their season.
Darrisaw is the obvious next candidate. He suffered a severe knee injury 14 months ago and missed the second half of the season and the early parts of this one. But he has been the focal point of injury reports all year, sitting out Thursday practices every week. Every time things appear to be trending up, he’s taking a step back, and his status for the next game is in jeopardy.
It’s been quite the bizarre recovery, and it’s certainly concerning that he’s still dealing with the injury over a year later.
Last week, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said about his key player, “We’ll see how he feels coming off of today. At this point, it’s about managing the weeks based upon how he comes out of the previous game, where that (knee’s) at, and then try to put together a plan for the week that gives him the best chance to help us on Sundays.”
At his best, Darrisaw is an elite left tackle who arguably should’ve received Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors over the years. The entire offensive gameplan is different with him on an island on the left side of the line. He’s a force in both the running and the passing game.
Given that his knee issues clearly aren’t going anywhere until he takes a long break in the offseason, shutting down Darrisaw is a realistic option. He’s too important for the future of the franchise after signing a long-term contract extension in the summer of 2024.
The New York Giants employ some dangerous pass-rushers that will go after the recently hot passer J.J. McCarthy. Unless Darrisaw can pull off a surprising turnaround, it’ll be either Justin Skule or Blake Brandel at left tackle. Throughout the season, Skule played whenever Darrisaw was unable to, but Brandel also got some left tackle reps this week.
Darrisaw is 26 years old and trending toward missing the fifth game of his 2025 campaign.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.