When should we expect him back?
As we get closer to the start of training camp for the Minnesota Vikings (and the 31 other teams that don’t matter as much as the Minnesota Vikings), one of the questions that we are eagerly anticipating an answer to is the status of star left tackle Christian Darrisaw. Darrisaw suffered a torn ACL in the team’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams in October and wound up missing more than half the season.
Darrisaw’s return would be a huge lift to a Vikings’ offensive line that has seen a significant overhaul on the interior, with rookie Donovan Jackson expected to line up next to Darrisaw at left guard. The team also signed center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries away from the Indianapolis Colts to give them what should be their strongest offensive line, tackle-to-tackle, in a long time.
But when should we expect Darrisaw back? According to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, if you’re hoping he’ll be back for Week 1 against Chicago on Monday Night Football, you might be disappointed.
Will he be back in time for Week 1? That’s probably a rosy expectation at this point. Still, Darrisaw has attacked his rehab. The Vikings have commended his progress.
(If you’re a subscriber to The Athletic, Lewis’ piece where he mentions all 45 players on the offensive side for the team is worth checking out.)
We might get at least a partial answer when the veterans report to camp in less than three weeks, because at that time the Vikings will have to decide whether or not they want to put Darrisaw on the Physically Unable to Perform List. If they do that, Darrisaw will be able to continue doing rehab work but won’t be able to do anything team-related until the team clears him to practice.
Should the Vikings do that with Darrisaw, we’ll then have to monitor whether or not they bring him off the list before the deadline to cut the roster to 53 players. If Darrisaw is still on the PUP List when rosters are reduced to 53, he will be forced to miss the first four games of the Vikings’ season. Having Darrisaw return after that could be a bit awkward given the fact that the Vikings will be spending Weeks 4 and 5 overseas with games in Dublin and London.
If Week 1 is too optimistic an estimate, I would think the two most likely dates for Darrisaw’s return would be Week 3 against Cincinnati or Week 7 when the Vikings face Philadelphia. If it’s the former the Vikings will have some roster logistics to juggle for their first two games, but if it’s the latter the team would have the bye week for Darrisaw to get ready to face the defending champions.
In the event that Darrisaw can’t go in Week 1, the Vikings may end up turning to Justin Skule, who they signed away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason. Skule started five games for the Buccaneers at tackle last season and has played both tackle spots, though he has more experience on the left side than on the right.
We can all keep our fingers crossed for a Week 1 return for Christian Darrisaw to protect J.J. McCarthy’s blind side, but at this point it sounds like we shouldn’t be completely surprised if it doesn’t happen.
