Kevin O’Connell sets the record straight on key offensive starter amid discussion about his injury status
Christian Darrisaw has missed time in his recovery from a torn ACL last season, and the Minnesota Vikings should consider sitting him the rest of the season.
The Minnesota Vikings have been loaded with injuries this season, and arguably the biggest one has been to left tackle Christian Darrisaw.
He suffered a torn ACL and MCL against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, October 24th, 2024, and it’s been hindering him ever since his return in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Since he returned, Darrisaw has missed multiple games and been pulled from others due to his knee being a problem.
Kevin O’Connell comments on sitting Christian Darrisaw for rest of season
One of the biggest questions has been whether or not the Vikings should sit Darrisaw for the rest of the season with the Vikings out of the playoffs. The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling asked head coach Kevin O’Connell straight up if the Vikings were considering sitting Darrisaw down for the rest of the season.
“I think right now, we’re just in the mindset of taking it a day at a time, and obviously Christian has constant dialogue with our medical staff, Tyler and his group, to chart the best path moving forward on a day-to-day basis right now,” said O’Connell.
It’s an interesting path forward to continue playing Darrisaw with the issues he’s had with his knee this year. He missed Sunday night’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, and he wasn’t going to practice on Wednesday.
“We’re coming off the late game on Sunday and late in the year. So he will, he will not take part today in that just with these walk-throughs, we’re out there for a good chunk of time. We actually get more plays in this setting than we do when we’re practicing full speed. So we’ll try to maximize that time. And you know, Justin Skule will take a lot of those reps, but we’ll get Blake [Brandel] some reps,” said O’Connell.
Christian Darrisaw arguably should sit the rest of the season
When you have one of the best left tackles in the NFL, it’s about having him for the long term. Darrisaw is under contract for the next four seasons with the Vikings, and they want to have him protect J.J. McCarthy‘s blind side for that time and longer.
With the Vikings currently eliminated from the playoffs, having Darrisaw is paramount to future success. Making sure that he’s there when the games matter should be the focus for the Vikings. It’s not the end of the world if he plays the rest of the season, but why risk it?
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