The Minnesota Vikings are once again entering the season with a key offensive weapon recovering from a torn ACL — this time, it’s standout left tackle Christian Darrisaw. While his involvement in mandatory minicamp offered early optimism, that momentum has since slowed.
According to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, there’s now growing doubt that Darrisaw will be fully ready for Week 1, tempering expectations around his return.
Will he be back in time for Week 1? That’s probably a rosy expectation at this point. Still, Darrisaw has attacked his rehab. The Vikings have commended his progress.
Vikings are taking a cautious approach with Christian Darrisaw
Seeing Christian Darrisaw out on the field during mandatory minicamp wasn’t entirely shocking — but it did raise some eyebrows. Here’s why.
Darrisaw suffered his ACL tear on October 24 and underwent surgery shortly after, which is significant on its own. By comparison, tight end T.J. Hockenson had to delay his procedure for nearly a month due to MCL complications. That early surgical window gave Darrisaw a head start on recovery.
Generally, the recovery timeline for an ACL reconstruction is no less than nine months. Adrian Peterson famously beat the clock, returning just eight months after a Christmas Eve ACL tear to start Week 1. But that kind of comeback is the exception, not the rule.
More importantly, today’s Vikings medical staff takes a much more conservative approach with injuries. This is the same staff that held Hockenson out longer than necessary by most standards — prioritizing his full recovery over rushing him back. That same caution is expected to apply to Darrisaw, as head coach Kevin O’Connell’s recent remarks about right guard Will Fries further emphasize the team’s long-term mindset when it comes to player health.
“Yeah, he’s been — it’s almost hard to believe with how strong he is, some of the things you’re hearing about from what he’s doing in the weight room — but we’re being really smart with the injury that it was, and then once we’re able to kind of get him in and get a feel for that, you know, knowing how we handle the spring, I don’t know if we’ll see him fully active this spring, but I have no hesitation to say that I’m really excited to see him when he’s able to get out there, more than likely, for training champ. There’s still a chance we could see him in some bits and pieces of work over the next two weeks. But he’s in a good spot.”
So where does that leave the Vikings when it comes to Darrisaw? It’s a bit of a gray area right now. The team brought in Justin Skule — who started several games for the Buccaneers last season — to serve as their swing tackle, providing insurance at the position. With Josh Oliver anchoring the blocking responsibilities at tight end, Minnesota has enough depth to weather a short-term absence.
In the grand scheme, the Vikings aren’t overly concerned about rushing Darrisaw back for the opener. Their focus is on playing deep into January, not squeezing every ounce out of the early weeks of the season.
At this point, it’s fair to assume Darrisaw may not be fully ready for Week 1. Still, things can evolve quickly, and his progress will be closely watched throughout training camp.
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