The Minnesota Vikings have lost left tackle Christian Darrisaw, one of their top players and among the best at his position in the NFL, for the season because of a left knee injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Darrisaw suffered the injury late in the first half of the Vikings’ 30-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night. Tests performed Friday in Minnesota revealed the necessity for season-ending surgery.
The team did not immediately confirm the news. Coach Kevin O’Connell is scheduled to speak with reporters later Friday. Veteran David Quessenberry replaced him Thursday night and would be the Vikings’ likeliest option to fill the position for the duration of the season.
Darrisaw, 25, has been the Vikings’ starting left tackle since they made him the No. 23 overall pick of the 2021 draft. He has battled a series of injuries but performed well enough to merit a four-year contract extension worth up to $113 million.
Thursday night’s injury occurred while Darrisaw was blocking with 35 seconds remaining in the first half. Rams safety Jaylen McCollough fell into the side of his left knee, and team medical officials helped him walk directly to the locker room as the Vikings finished out the half.
The Vikings had taken possession of the ball at their own 3-yard line, but they had all three of their timeouts. Rather than kneel on the ball to close out the half, O’Connell said he wanted to see if the offense could potentially move into position for a score. The Rams also had a timeout, which would have required the Vikings to kneel twice within a narrow space between the line of scrimmage and the end zone.
“They had dime defense on the field,” O’Connell said, “so I thought we could maybe pop a run. Don’t know if we were necessarily targeted versus that group out there, which I think if we are, maybe that ball’s got a chance to [move]. If we get off and rolling with the timeouts we had left at the time, get that first down, then there’s a chance to maybe try to dial some stuff up and not give them any chance at doubling us up there with them starting out the second half.”