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Darrisaw was limited to 10 games last season because of a knee injury and was eventually placed on injured reserve.
EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings rotated 10 offensive linemen across 26 different combinations throughout the 2025 season.
The injury-plagued front line struggled to develop much chemistry, resulting in 60 sacks -- tied for the second-most sacks allowed in the league -- and an inconsistent ground game. In February, the Vikings promoted Keith Carter to be the offensive line coach, but perhaps the most promising sign throughout OTAs has been the availability of standout left tackle Christian Darrisaw.
Coming off a season-ending knee injury, Darrisaw was a regular on the injury report last year and was limited to just 10 games. While Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said they're being "smart" with him at OTAs, Darrisaw has been participating "pretty much in totality."
"We're being smart with him, but at the same time we're making sure that he's being part of this collective O-line group elevation that's happening," O'Connell said Thursday.
Despite playing last season, Darrisaw never appeared to be fully recovered. He was on a snap count for most of the year before eventually landing on injured reserve in December. Prior to that initial knee injury in 2024, however, Darrisaw was ranked the fourth-best tackle in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
"Christian has a very high standard for himself, and that's one of the reasons we're so excited to have him back and feeling healthy and feeling good," O'Connell said. "Now we just need to continue to progress that way. In a way that allows him to feel great starting the season."
Darrisaw is one of four starters on the offensive line returning this season, and is expected to be the anchor for the quarterback's blindside, whoever it may be. Blake Brandel is the likely candidate to take over at center after Ryan Kelly announced his retirement back in March, following a season where he was diagnosed with three concussions.
Brandel made his first career start at center last season after spending a majority of his career playing tackle and guard. He had mixed results at center, but he could benefit from a full offseason learning the ins and outs of the position. While Kelly only played in eight games last season, he was among the top centers in the league when he was on the field, according to PFF.
"There's a lot of guys on our team, coming out of the seasons, coming out of the different years of their career, that's why [Vice President of Player Health and Performance] Tyler [Williams] is so impactful and important, because we shape all of their individual plans with making sure it all is in alignment with working backwards from that home opener against Green Bay," O'Connell said.
