Christian Darrisaw Injury Concerns Could Force Vikings to Throw Caleb Tiernan Into the Fire

The Minnesota Vikings' bid for a perfect season continued with Sunday's win over the Miami Dolphins; however, the Purple and Gold's latest victory didn't come without some loss. Minnesota's offensive line is featuring a couple of potential absences from key contributors. Left guard Donovan Jackson exited Week 4 with a knee injury, while starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw also sustained a concussion in the win.

What's even more concerning about Darrisaw's issue is that he was allegedly cleared from the in-game concussion protocol, only to be removed again after still showing symptoms (h/t Vikings), according to head coach Kevin O'Connell. Minnesota's head coach added that the team "will continue to evaluate" Darrisaw before hopefully providing an update on Monday.

Given how tricky concussions are, plus the fact that all players must clear the five-stage protocol before returning, Minnesota could be in trouble. The good news for the Vikings is that their bye week comes after their Week 5 showdown with the New Orleans Saints, giving Darrisaw (and Jackson) ample time to recover.

That said, a potential absence (even for just one game) might lead Minnesota to turn to the next man up, which might be 2026 third-round pick tackle Caleb Tiernan.

Caleb Tiernan could find himself in a bigger Vikings role amid Christian Darrisaw injury

After Darrisaw left Sunday's game, the Vikings slotted free-agent addition Ryan Van Demark into the LT1 role. Although the Connecticut product had a solid performance as a run blocker, his pass protection left something to be desired, allowing three pressures across 22 pass-blocking opportunities—good for a 51.9 grade on Pro Football Focus.

Considering how Van Demark has been average at best in pass protection throughout his career, it's not unfathomable to imagine the Vikings giving some of the available LT snaps to Tiernan, too. They made him a Day 2 selection and have him on the 53-man roster for a reason, right?

Caleb Tiernan at the combine. — Caleb Tiernan might have a chance to show what he can do as an LT in the NFL sooner rather than later. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite his high draft selection and the potential he possesses, Tiernan wasn't activated for the Vikings' first three games.

That changed in Week 4, though, when he finally made his debut in the win over the Dolphins, playing eight offensive snaps as an inline tight end rather than a tackle, according to PFF. Still, he made the most of his first NFL opportunities, finishing with grades of 70.3 for run blocking and 75.7 for pass protection.

Drafted 97th overall in April, Tiernan is a 6-foot-7, 323-pound blocker coming off a second-team All-Big Ten nod at left tackle. He played to an 84.3 PFF pass-block grade in 2025. He allowed only nine sacks throughout his five-year run at Northwestern and surrendered 13 pressures in each of his last two years, compared to 26 total in 2023.

That doesn't mean he'll find similar success as a pro player, but the Vikings won't know until they try, either.

Looking ahead to Week 5

As mentioned before, the Vikings only have one game left before their bye week, and the upcoming showdown against the 1-2 Saints could be a solid measuring stick.

Even though they're below .500, the Saints' pass rush has looked solid heading into Week 4's Monday Night Football, clocking in at a PFF grade of 74.4—seventh-best in the league. Five New Orleans players have at least six pressures this season, headlined by Chase Young's team-leading 12 (which includes five sacks).

Assuming the unit keeps playing that way, it could be an opportunity to assess what Tiernan (and Van Demark) is made of heading into the week-long break.

Then, whether Darrisaw is healthy or not, the Vikings will know whether to feel confident in their backup LTs coming out of the bye or need to explore the trade market for a potential solution.

The Vikings have been taking their time with Tiernan as he acclimates to the NFL, but they might have no choice but to throw the third-rounder into the fire if Darrisaw isn't good to go in Week 5.

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