Will J.J. McCarthy have one of the best left tackles in the game protecting his blind side when he suits up for his first NFL regular season snaps this September? It appears that's more unlikely than likely at the moment.
According to The Athletic's Alec Lewis, the potential of a Week 1 return for Vikings tackle Christian Darrisaw is "probably a rosy expectation."
Darrisaw tore both his ACL and MCL after getting rolled up on during a Thursday night gam in Los Angeles last October. He had successful surgery the following month and has been rehabbing the injury since.
The 26-year-old returned to team practices in early June, participating in individual drills during Vikings minicamp. Lewis stated the Vikings "have commended his progress." Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell praised Darrisaw's rehab work back in February, saying he was "absolutely killing it every step of the way." Still, such a significant injury takes plenty of time to come back from, especially for offensive linemen.
With how important Darrisaw is to the Vikings' offensive line, and how key it will be to protect their investment in McCarthy, it wouldn't be too shocking if the team is cautious in bringing Darrisaw back too soon from his injury. The Vikings went out and signed former Buccaneers tackle Justin Skule as a potential fill-in while Darrisaw goes through the last stages of his rehab. The veteran Skule seems likely to start at least a couple games for Minnesota to begin this season.
Since being taken in the first round of the 2021 draft by the Vikings, Darrisaw has morphed himself into one of the best left tackles in the league. With a revamped interior offensive line, the Vikings could provide their young QB one of the best overall offensive lines in the entire league during his rookie season.
