Vikings Star Left Tackle Christian Darrisaw Feels Like Himself Again

Almost 20 months removed from the devastating knee injury he suffered in October 2024, Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw is feeling like himself again this offseason.

It took a while for him to reach this point. Darrisaw spent all of last offseason in recovery mode and was able to make his season debut in Week 3. But it wasn't a simple situation where once he was back on the field, everything was back to normal. Darrisaw was in and out of the lineup, missing parts of games and almost all of a Thursday night game in Week 9. His practice reps were carefully managed. Eventually, when the Vikings were eliminated from playoff contention, he was shut down.

In total, Darrisaw played just over 500 snaps across ten games last season. When he was on the field, he played well. But he wasn't the same dominant pre-injury force the Vikings saw from 2022-24, when his tape was as consistently impressive as any left tackle in the league.

Having had a more normal offseason this year, Darrisaw has been moving around well at Vikings OTAs, and he said his knee feels as good as it has since the injury.

"Best it’s felt in two years," Darrisaw told the Minnesota Star Tribune on Thursday. "I’m trending in the right direction. Full motion, everything feels great."

Christian Darrisaw in action 💪 pic.twitter.com/mnt4ZA7t46
— SKOR North - Minnesota Sports (@SKORNorth) June 4, 2026

If the Vikings can get Darrisaw back healthy and playing like his pre-injury self, that would be a game-changer for their offense. The 2021 first-round pick is a truly dominant force as both a pass protector and run blocker from the left tackle position, boasting a rare combination of size, athleticism, technical mastery, and awareness.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said on Thursday that Darrisaw has been participating "pretty much in totality" in the offseason program.

"Christian's had a great spring," O'Connell said. "I think (offensive line coach) Keith (Carter) has done a really good job with Christian, understanding that as we progress through the spring, when we have our opportunities to have him in there, which has been pretty much in totality, we're being smart with him. But at the same time, we're making sure he's part of this collective O-line group elevation that's happening.

"That group has a high standard for themselves. Christian has a very high standard for himself. And that's one of the reasons why we're so excited to have him back and feeling healthy and feeling good. Now we just need to continue to progress that way, in a way that allows him to feel great starting the season."

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