Injured Vikings LT Christian Darrisaw doing individual drills at minicamp after knee injury
Christian Darrisaw returned to the practice field on Tuesday, less than eight months after the Minnesota Vikings' franchise left tackle suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Darrisaw only did individual drills at the Vikings' minicamp, according to the team, but it's still an encouraging step for a franchise cornerstone.
Darrisaw injured his ACL and MCL against the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 24. Since being drafted 23rd overall in 2021, Darrisaw has been a standout on the Vikings' line. The 26-year-old is considered one of the league's best tackles, and the Vikings acknowledged as much when they gave him a massive contract extension last offseason.
In the wake of the injury, the Vikings traded for Jacksonville Jaguars tackle Cam Robinson. He started the remainder of the season for the Vikings, but fell well short of the bar set by Darrisaw.
It's unclear if Darrisaw will be ready for the start of next season and who would play in his stead if he's not. Robinson signed with the Houston Texans in free agency, but the Vikings signed swing tackle Justin Skule and have several other potential fill-ins on the roster.
Whoever's playing left tackle Week 1, he'll be tasked with protecting J.J. McCarthy, the second-year would-be franchise passer for the Vikings. He'll also be part of a totally revamped offensive line, with new starters at left guard (rookie Donovan Jackson), center (Ryan Kelly) and right guard (Will Fries). Stalwart Brian O'Neill is still holding down the right tackle spot.
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