Stefon Diggs’ Comeback Might Reveal Christian Darrisaw’s Fate
Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs is back from an ACL tear that he suffered last season.
Stefon Diggs came back from an ACL tear in eight months. Could that recovery time hint at Christian Darrisaw’s fate? The Vikings may already have their answer.
Diggs, of course, no longer plays for the Vikings, leaving the franchise after the 2019 campaign and being a part of a famous trade that enabled Minnesota to snag Justin Jefferson from the 2020 NFL Draft.
But in a roundabout way this week, Diggs’ ACL recovery told a story about Minnesota’s left tackle Christian Darrisaw.
Here’s the latest.
Christian Darrisaw Might Be in a Good Spot if Stefon Diggs’ Recovery Is a Reasonable Indicator
Both men tore their ACLs in the 2024 regular season.
Stefon Diggs Is Back from an ACL Tear
NBC Sports‘ Josh Alper noted Tuesday, “Wide receiver Stefon Diggs was not part of the initial group of players that the Patriots put on the physically unable to perform list and he was not added to the list when the full squad reported to training camp on Tuesday.”
“Diggs tore his ACL while playing for the Texans late in October, but his rehab has gone well enough that he will be on the active roster for the first practices of the summer. Head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters at a press conference that it’s a testament to how hard Diggs has worked and that he doesn’t anticipate holding Diggs back on the field.”
Diggs’ new head coach, Mike Vrabel, added, “I don’t see any limitations right now. Is he going to take every single rep of every single period? No, and I don’t think any player will. But we’re off to a good start and encouraged by what we saw here in the last couple of days.”
And just like that, Diggs is back in the saddle.
The Timeline Comparison to Christian Darrisaw
And here’s the kicker: Diggs and Darrisaw went down the same weekend last year — Week 8.
Darrisaw tore his ACL in a game at the Los Angeles Rams, prompting Minnesota to swing a trade for Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson. Throughout the offseason, many have wondered if Darrisaw will be ready for Week 1.
If Diggs can do it, Darrisaw can do it. That’s the working theory, anyway.
Diggs tore his ACL as a member of the Houston Texans and hit free agency four months later, picking New England as his next place of employment.
Darrisaw Already Trending the Right Way
The Diggs comparison arrived as Darrisaw is already trending in the right direction.
Out of nowhere in June, Darrisaw showed up on the practice field at mandatory minicamp, turning heads because many onlookers expected a suspense-filled summer regarding his playing status.
Then, at a pre-training camp press conference on Tuesday, the Vikings leaders, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell, confirmed that Darrisaw was in a good spot for his recovery and had avoided the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
In short, it’s all smiles lately on Darrisaw’s timeline.
Advancement in ACL Recoveries?
Diggs and Darrisaw hit the shelf in October 2024, so if both men are ready to go in September, well, ACL tears might be a 10-month injury now. In the past, many wrote ACL-bitten players off for a full year. It was the nature of the beast.
There’s a decent chance that shorter-than-a-year ACL recoveries are just standard now. Evidence will point that way if Diggs and Darrisaw play Week 1.
More on Darrisaw
Our own Janik Eckardt detailed Darrisaw’s ACL recovery this week, citing Vikings.com’s Lindsey Young’s recent summary.
He wrote, “Vikings writer Lindsey Young summarized on the team’s official website: ‘Left tackle Christian Darrisaw and right guard Will Fries, both of whom have been rehabbing injuries, will open training camp without injury designations, Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell and General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah confirmed Tuesday.'”
“Christian Darrisaw has already established himself as one of the premier blockers in football, but a torn ACL stopped his 2024 season just short of the halfway mark. His availability in the season opener remains in question, but his participation at least partially is a good sign.”
A healthy Darrisaw as early as Week 1 would be a total game-changer for the purple team.
Eckardt added, “Darrisaw signed a huge contract extension last offseason, and the Vikings will undoubtedly play it safe with their franchise player rather than accelerating his timeline. He’s too important in the long run.”
“There will be plenty of injury updates in the following weeks. For now, the 26-year-old is in a decent spot.”
Darrisaw’s recovery will be among the top storylines for the rest of the summer and might even be the most single-most important.
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