Future for Vikings Franchise Cornerstone Feels Somber
Minnesota Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw is trending to miss this Sunday’s game at the New York Giants, and while Kevin O’Connell’s team can certainly survive that development, Darrisaw’s long-term prognosis feels somber.
Darrisaw’s probable absence isn’t just a Sunday problem — it forces Minnesota into stopgap math now while quietly reshaping how the roster gets built next spring.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert caught up with Darrisaw this week, briefly asking him about his lingering knee injury. The response wasn’t exactly ideal.
What Darrisaw’s Uncertainty Means for Minnesota’s 2026 Plan
Folks will just cross their fingers on Darrisaw’s future.
ESPN on Darrisaw
Darrisaw has not practiced this week, an omen that he won’t suit up this weekend at New York.
Commenting on the Thursday injury report, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted, “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.”
That tweet sounds like a path to shutting Darrisaw down for the rest of the season, and if so, it’s back to the drawing board on the status of his knee. Darrisaw tore his ACL in late October 2024 and evidently hasn’t been fully right since.
A Major Offseason Storyline around the Bend?
Depending on the messaging from the Vikings’ brass after the regular season ends, Darrisaw’s knee has the capability of gripping the offseason by the throat.
Since the middle of the 2021 season, Vikings fans have rested easy, knowing that the franchise had the left tackle position figured out — probably for the next decade. Darrisaw was that effective, immediately showing the chops as a foundational OT out of the gate.
While the Darrisaw story will probably end just fine, the view from December 2025 is less rosy. A nuisance knee injury after Darrisaw spent half the 2024 regular season and all of the 2025 offseason rehabbing is just not ideal. Not ideal at all.
Contingency Plans
What if Darrisaw is never his old self again? Wowzers — that would spell doom for Minnesota.
Darrisaw inked a four-year, $113 million extension in June 2024, and the dollars on that extension haven’t even kicked in yet. His second contract officially starts ticking in 2026. So, there’s the money aspect. Minnesota needs a healthy and productive Darrrisaw to avoid the grim financial implications.
Meanwhile, there’s also the problem of finding a Darrisaw replacement if he never returns to form. Some NFL clubs spend years finding a decent left tackle. It’s akin to discovering a franchise quarterback. The Vikings really aren’t in a position to spend a Round 1 draft pick on tackle. They need cornerbacks, safeties, and maybe running backs.
It’s also difficult to find a tackle in free agency. General managers don’t let the good ones walk. It’s that simple.
Not a Good Time for OT Uncertainty
Finally, now is not the time to embark on left tackle uncertainty. Fans spend months dreading that J.J. McCarthy might be a draft bust, only to watch as the youngster has turned it around in the last two games. He seems to be trending positively.
Therefore, if one assumes that McCarthy can become the team’s savior QB1, the last thing he or the Vikings need is a big roster hole at left tackle, the man tasked with keeping McCarthy upright. McCarthy is also rather injury-prone is young career.
Let’s just say it: Minnesota needs a healthy Darrisaw in 2026 and beyond.
Other Darrisaw Takes
Minnesota Sports Fan‘s Eric Strack wrote Thursday, “While the Vikings’ playoff hopes are dead, the health of their offensive line remains a major nuisance for O’Connell, his coaches and Minnesota’s scouting staff.”
“Because after three more games, they have to hit the pause button on live-action for six months. And when that happens, this organization will have to decide, yet again, what they are going to do at quarterback, going into 2026. It’s difficult to do that successfully, however, when you have such a small sample size to work with, like the Vikings have with McCarthy.”
Darrisaw will turn 27 this summer.
Strack added, “You want to see more before making franchise-altering decisions. Unfortunately, that’s just not reality in the NFL. Ready or not, this league chugs along with or without you. So there is no choice. And that has to be the frustrating part of Darrisaw’s inability to stay on the field.”
“How can they get a good read on JJ McCarthy, if they don’t have a starting left tackle in place to protect his blindside? Because from the looks of it, CD may not make it back before the start of next season.”
The Vikings’ brass will likely address Darrisaw’s long-term health during the press conference after the regular season.
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