Vikings Fifth-Year Option Cap Number Set For Christian Darrisaw

The Vikings aren't expected to use the franchise tag on anyone this offseason.

The NFL announcing its record-breaking $255.4 million salary cap number for 2024 also means several other figures have been confirmed for contract reasons. The most notable one for the Vikings is that the fifth-year option for left tackle Christian Darrisaw has been set at just over $16 million for the 2025 season.

The Vikings have until May 2nd to exercise the fifth-year option on Darrisaw, who was their first-round pick in 2021. That'll be a no-brainer. Darrisaw, who turns 25 this summer, has established himself as a clear franchise building block and one of the more talented left tackles in all of football.

Darrisaw has been playing at a borderline All-Pro level for the last two years, but he hasn't even made a single Pro Bowl. That saves the Vikings a few bucks; Darrisaw's 2025 cap number would've been just shy of $21 million if he had made multiple Pro Bowls and just over $19 million if he had made one.

After a four-year stretch where the Vikings didn't pick up any fifth-year options, they've now had no-brainer decisions on Justin Jefferson and Darrisaw in consecutive years. Darrisaw becomes eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but that presumably won't happen until next year.

Franchise tag numbers have also been set, but the Vikings don't have any franchise tag candidates this year. They can't tag Kirk Cousins or Danielle Hunter due to language in their contracts.

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

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