The feel-good story of Wednesday coming out of the Twin Cities was Caleb Banks’ return to the field. April’s top pick missed the spring practices because of a significant foot injury he had suffered months ago. A day later, another lineman delivered positive injury recovery news.
Christian Darrisaw, Minnesota’s standout left tackle, was not himself throughout the 2025 season, as he couldn’t overcome his severe knee injury from the year prior. A full offseason later, Darrisaw appears to move well in practice sessions. Chatting with the media on Thursday, he confirmed his knee is feeling quite good.
“Feel the best I’ve felt in two years,” Minnesota’s blindside protector said. It was a long road to recovery for him. He participated in training camp last year, but still missed the first two games of the season and started only ten throughout the year. To make things worse, Darrisaw exited half of those prematurely. And when he played, he couldn’t live up to the sky-high expectations folks had for him due to his pre-injury excellence.
He added that he is “just feeling like myself” and that he doesn’t have to worry about waking up with stiffness or other issues. Last year, Darrisaw was also held out of various practice sessions throughout the weeks to control swelling. On Thursday, he emphasized that the difference compared to that rough season is “like night and day.”
And here’s the money quote. Asked if he expects to play every snap, he said: “100%. That’s the goal. Just go out there and dominate.”
That comment came a couple of days after head coach Kevin O’Connell hinted that there would be zero limitations for his franchise tackle.
For the Vikings, those words are about more than just one player’s confidence. Darrisaw has been one of the cornerstones of the franchise whenever healthy, and having him back at full strength could be the biggest upgrade Minnesota makes this season without adding a single new player. An elite left tackle changes what an offense can do both in the running game and in pass protection.
The Vikings are a better football team with Darrisaw on the field than without him. That take is pretty undeniable. Last year’s backup, Justin Skule, couldn’t replace him adequately. Of course, no backup in the NFL can just replace an elite player.
This offseason, Minnesota still tried to be better prepared by signing Bills tackle Ryan Van Demark, who’s generally viewed as an upgrade. Furthermore, the Vikings bolstered the depth by adding Northwestern tackle Caleb Tiernan in the third round.
Darrisaw wasn’t the only blocker who missed time in 2025. Only right guard Will Fries competed in all 17 contests. Center Ryan Kelly missed roughly half the year with three concussions and opted to retire after just one season with the club to prioritize his health. Left guard Donovan Jackson had a solid rookie season, but a wrist injury required surgery, cost him time, and continued to bother him for the remainder of the year. A knee injury also kept right tackle Brian O’Neill sidelined for a couple of weeks.
Those injuries prevented Minnesota from ever seeing what its revamped offensive line could become. Entering 2026, the hope is that a healthy Darrisaw will finally allow the group to reach its ceiling. Four starters have returned, but backup lineman Blake Brandel will take over at center.
Darrisaw quickly showed his talent in his 2021 rookie season, once he returned from an injury that cost him the first few weeks that year. After a full offseason in 2022, he emerged as one of the league’s best linemen in his first season under Kevin O’Connell and continued to play at that level throughout 2023 and until his injury halfway through 2024. On a routine run play, a Rams player hit him in the knee and his season was over. The Vikings tried to fix the spot by trading for veteran Cam Robinson, but there’s no replacing Mr. Darrisaw.
If Thursday’s comments are any indication, the Vikings may finally have the version of Christian Darrisaw they’ve been waiting to get back. After two seasons of frustration, setbacks, and careful workload management, Minnesota’s franchise left tackle sounds ready to return to being one of the NFL’s premier players at his position.
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