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Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw out for the season

dane mizutani, pioneer press
·2 min read

The biggest loss the Vikings suffered on Thursday night at SoFi Stadium had nothing to do with the scoreboard.

After flying home following a 30-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Vikings learned that left tackle Christian Darrisaw will be out for the season.

Talking to reporters via Zoom on Friday afternoon, coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed that Darrisaw will require surgery after suffering injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

As a result, the Vikings have placed Darrisaw on injured reserve, and in a corresponding move, they have activated tight end T.J. Hockenson from the Physically Unable To Perform List.

“We were holding out hope that maybe the imaging would reveal a less significant injury,” O’Connell said. “Unfortunately that is not the case and he did sustain a significant injury.”

It happened on a fluke play shortly before halftime as Darrisaw got rolled up on while engaged in a block.

As soon as it happened in the game, he seemed to know it was pretty bad, pounding the ground in pain in the immediate aftermath. He limped off the field with the help of the trainers and was quickly ruled out for the game.

“We will determine the best course of action in regards to the procedure,” O’Connell said. “I know C.D. will be right back where he was.”

Originally drafted by the Vikings in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Darrisaw is already widely regarded among the best players at his position. He signed a lucrative contract extension in the summer reportedly worth up to $113 million with $77 million guaranteed.

“He’s in good spirits,” O’Connell said. “He’s a mentally and physically tough guy and I have no doubts he’s going to attack this.”

The next man up for the Vikings in the trenches is veteran left tackle David Quessenberry followed by rookie left tackle Walter Rouse. Asked who would get the nod in place of Darrisaw moving forward, O’Connell said the Vikings are still working through their options.

“Those conversations are going on as we speak,” O’Connell said. “I do feel like this is where our offensive line depth that we felt good about throughout training camp and leading into this season gives us possibilities.”

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