Latest news with #ChristianDarrisaw
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vikings Make Announcement About Key Player Return After Long Injury Absence
Vikings Make Announcement About Key Player Return After Long Injury Absence originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Vikings lost a key piece of their offense in Week 8 of the 2024 NFL season. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw, the team's first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, had only missed a handful of games in his young career up until that point. Advertisement Unfortunately, during the Vikings' 30-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8, Darrisaw suffered a serious knee injury, tearing his ACL and MCL, which would sideline him for the remainder of the season. However, the Vikings received a huge update concerning their starting offensive tackle as a post to social media showed Darrisaw back at practice and participating in individual drills. At the time of the Virginia Tech alumnus' placement onto injured reserve, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell noted that "he's clearly one of our offensive pillars that we have leaned on a lot, and it's going to be a significant loss. But we've all got to do a little bit more." Advertisement Over his first three seasons in the NFL, Darrisaw played in 41 games, but his injury-shortened 2024 only allowed him to play in seven contests. In that limited timeframe, Darrisaw graded 81.4 on Pro Football Focus, ranking 11th out of 140 tackles. Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O' Hanisch-Imagn Images In July 2024, Darrisaw signed a massive contract extension, linking him to the Vikings through the 2029 season. The deal added four years at $104 million to his existing contract. Based on annual average salary, the 26-year-old is the fourth-highest-paid tackle. Minnesota is in the first day of mandatory minicamp and will extend to June 12. From June 16 to 18, the Vikings will reconvene for voluntary organized team activities. Advertisement Related: J.J. McCarthy Makes Opinion Clear on Entering Second Season With Vikings Related: Matt LaFleur Responds to Vikings Player's 'Be a Man' Comments This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Sport
- CBS News
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.
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL announces new award that is primed for Christian Darrisaw to win
NFL announces new award that is primed for Christian Darrisaw to win The NFL has done a tremendous job of marketing its players over the decades, on offense and defense alike. In unique cases, they have even been able to market some kickers and punters. That being said, offensive linemen have seemingly always been forgotten. Much like defense in the NBA, they are one of the most integral parts of the game, but they are often overlooked. When people talk about Michael Jordan, they talk about the scoring titles and championships, not the nine times he was named to the first-team all-defensive NBA team. When it comes to the offensive linemen in the NFL, the league is starting to fix that. On Wednesday, the NFL announced a new award, the Protector of the Year Award, to be given each year at NFL Honors. The league has long wanted to recognize the men who keep their star quarterbacks upright and able to make plays. As for who could be a favorite for that award, Vikings fans could hear their own Christian Darrisaw receive it come next February. While he is coming off a season-ending injury, he remains one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL, and the league may soon recognize that as well.
New York Times
07-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Which Vikings player is next in line for an extension? The 5 most likely candidates
One of the under-the-radar, no-nonsense traits of the Minnesota Vikings leadership team is the way it orchestrates new deals. Justin Jefferson's hefty contract? Secured without the hoopla. Christian Darrisaw's extension? The same story. Last week, superagent Drew Rosenhaus visited the TCO Performance Center and met with Vikings cap whiz Rob Brzezinski — and the rest was history. Edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel signed a deal to stay in Minnesota for another season with barely a peep. A dream situation for @AndrewVanGinkel 🏠 — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 30, 2025 This summer won't see big-ticket items like Jefferson or Darrisaw brought to the table. Still, even with Van Ginkel's future finalized, there are some moves for the Vikings to make. Who's next? Here are five potential names with recent signings serving as a guide: Josh Metellus, S/LB Let's start with a statistic: Metellus was one of two NFL players last season to play 10 percent of his team's snaps on the line of scrimmage, as a slot corner, at safety and at linebacker. The other player to do it? Derwin James. Metellus is a one-man embodiment of what defensive coordinator Brian Flores looks for. It's versatility. It's aptitude. It's a chess piece that can be moved just about anywhere on the board. Metellus is a perfect extension candidate. First, he is still young, having just turned 27 in January. Second, his contract is set to void after the 2025 season. Third, he is one of the cornerstone leaders in a Vikings locker room that will need consistent voices when (or if?) Harrison Smith retires. And fourth, Metellus wants to remain in Minnesota. He signed his last contract in 2023, a $6 million guaranteed leap of faith by the team and a security play for Metellus. A similar three-year structure makes sense this time around. The question is: At what cost? Cam Bynum, who just departed for the Indianapolis Colts via free agency, netted essentially $26 million fully guaranteed for three seasons. The Detroit Lions' Kerby Joseph received a contract extension at a comparable value. Metellus' price might hover around $20 million over three years fully guaranteed, but the Vikings and Metellus' agent, Rosenhaus, should have a positive enough relationship to consummate a new deal. LIVE: @NoExcuses_23 talks to the media during the offseason program — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 29, 2025 Josh Oliver, TE Nothing about Oliver's game is sexy. Steely Dan's 'Dirty Work' could conceivably be about this tight end, who grapples with elite edge rushers every week. Two years ago, coach Kevin O'Connell was focused on improving the run game. The answer then? Adding Oliver, who looks so much like an edge rusher that one of the local media members mistook him for one in his initial news conference. Oliver has played more than 1,000 offensive snaps over the last two seasons. He held his own in T.J. Hockenson's absence in the early part of 2024. His pass-catching ability might still be a tad underrated. His blocking prowess always will be. His contract circumstances mirror Metellus' in that his initial three-year agreement is set to void after this season. The tight end depth behind him is unproven. Losing Johnny Mundt didn't (and shouldn't have) spurred headlines, but the Vikings staff winced at his signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team believes in what sixth-round pick Gavin Bartholomew and undrafted signing Ben Yurosek can be, especially under the tutelage of tight ends coach Brian Angelichio. However, neither player will be the force on the edge that Oliver is. Washington's John Bates signed a three-year extension in March worth around $11.5 million guaranteed. He and Oliver are both 28, and Oliver, who was Pro Football Focus' highest-graded run-blocking tight end, has a sensible argument to top him at around $12 million. Brian O'Neill, OT There might not be a more interesting Vikings contract consideration than O'Neill's. He is signed through 2026, so having this discussion now might be a tad early. It's important enough to talk through, though. The Vikings love O'Neill, and understandably so. O'Connell leans on him heavily for leadership, and O'Neill's voice carries more weight than most. That's because of his performance, durability and reliability. He has started 106 games since 2018. He partially tore his Achilles tendon late in the 2022 season, returned the following year and played 14 games, then stacked 17 more on top of that in 2024. Once Christian Darrisaw tore his ACL, O'Connell left O'Neill mostly on islands throughout the back half of the season, and O'Neill handled the challenge the way he often has, despite playing next to subpar sideboards at right guard. O'Neill's cap number for 2025 is around $26 million, which ranks as the third highest among all right tackles. That number will dip in 2026, but by then, O'Neill's agent may want a reworked contract. How should the Vikings proceed? It's a fascinating question given O'Neill's importance, his age (he turns 30 this fall) and the lack of an obvious replacement. As for what O'Neill could ask for, there aren't many comparable situations at right tackle. This spring, the Baltimore Ravens re-upped core left tackle Ronnie Stanley for $44 million fully guaranteed over three seasons. At right tackle, that would come close to the top of the market, but O'Neill would likely lie somewhere near $40 million guaranteed. C.J. Ham, FB Last season, the Vikings were more efficient running the football with Ham on the field, but the numbers weren't starkly different. Minnesota used 21 personnel at the sixth-highest rate in the NFL, but that was still less than 15 percent of their offensive snaps. The case for Ham is more about what he brings to special teams and the locker room. He'll turn 32 this summer, and while his offensive snap count has increased each season, his impact in the run-blocking and pass-catching phases varies. His contract is up after the 2025 season, so if the Vikings believe in his influence as much as the coaches say they do, an extension worth around $2 million for 2026 seems appropriate. Blake Cashman, LB Cashman is a year younger than Van Ginkel, but this conversation isn't wildly different from Van Ginkel's. The Vikings signed both in the spring of 2024. Both had durability concerns. Both were stars in their debut season in Minnesota. Van Ginkel earned second-team All-Pro honors, and Cashman was snubbed from the Pro Bowl. Before Van Ginkel signed his extension, his contract ran through 2026. That's how Cashman's is. His cap number for 2026 ranks 19th among NFL off-ball linebackers. Securing Cashman into 2027 feels appropriate, even if his injury history gives pause for how sustainable his 2024 production was. More than anything, this would be validating what Cashman is capable of. The New England Patriots signed linebacker Robert Spillane to a three-year contract worth $11 million annually this spring. That's about $3.5 million more than Cashman's annual value, and Cashman's coverage success (especially in Flores' defense) warrants a reassessment. (Photo of Josh Metellus: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
