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Vikings Make Final Decision on OT Christian Darrisaw After 11-Month Injury Recovery

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paul White | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 7:30 AM ET

The Minnesota Vikings have been beaten up by injuries this week with major blows to quarterback J.J. McCarthy and running back Aaron Jones. Both were injured in last week’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons and will be out for multiple weeks.

Star offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw missed the first couple weeks of the season with a torn ACL and MCL, injuries he sustained last year in Week 8.

Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that he will make his season debut against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Vikings took a gamble leaving him off the injured reserve list to start the season and he returns after just three weeks to complete an 11-month recovery.

Help is on the way Sunday for the Vikings: Three players listed as questionable – OT Christian Darrisaw (knee), S Harrison Smith (illness), DE Andrew Van Ginkel (concussion) – are expected to play vs. the Bengals, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 21, 2025

Darrisaw’s return was sorely needed for Minnesota, who hadn’t been able to catch a break on the injury front up until this point.

Their offensive line had been struggling to hold up in pass protection, so they are hoping their former first-round selection can pick right up where he left off last season.

The Vikings are 1-1 this season, but they’ve really only strung together a single cohesive quarter. Still, they’ve managed to maintain with an impressive Week 1 victory over the Chicago Bears.

What Darrisaw’s Return Means for Minnesota

The Bengals are down superstar quarterback Joe Burrow, and with an underwhelming defense, the Vikings are hoping veteran passer Carson Wentz can hold down the offense until McCarthy gets back.

Darrisaw should give them more time to breathe on offense and let wide receiver Justin Jefferson go to work.

The All-Pro wideout has just seven catches on the year and head coach Kevin O’Connell knows that will need to change if his team wants to enjoy similar success to last year.

Darrisaw is also an elite run blocker, so O’Connell will also try to get the run game dialed up with Mason, who flashed terrific potential last season with the San Francisco 49ers.

Minnesota has lofty expectations after finishing 14-3 last season and they hope their stud tackle can help get them back on track.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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