The primary storyline for the Minnesota Vikings right now has existed on some level since March, the moment Kyler Murray was signed to compete with J.J. McCarthy. Even if a starting quarterback is named soon, the overall storyline won't totally go away.
But the quarterback conversation, complete with scrutiny and reaction to everything McCarthy and Murray say or do to the point of exhaustion, naturally leads to other things falling by the wayside. As the Vikings wind down their offseason program and head toward training camp, some of those things will get more of the light they deserve.
Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports has named one under-the-radar breakout candidate for each NFC team. For the Vikings, it's less an under-the-radar player than a player who is overdue to make a full star turn.
The Minnesota Vikings' "breakout candidate" is a player who fans hope will finally make a full star turn
Here's what Pereles wrote, channeling where Vikings fans are with left tackle Christian Darrisaw after he has missed at least two games in all five seasons of his career thus far.
"If you ask Vikings fans, they'd probably say it's past time for Christian Darrisaw to become a star. The left tackle showcases elite talent when he's on the field. The issue is he hasn't been on the field enough: zero full seasons. He has played in just 17 games total the past two seasons after signing a four-year, $113 million extension in July 2024. He then tore his ACL and MCL in October and struggled with knee issues for seemingly all of 2025. He's an absolute road grader in the run game; since Darrisaw arrived in 2021, the Vikings have a 46% rushing success rate with him on the field and a 41% rushing success rate without him. In 2025, that would have been the difference between the NFL's 17th-best rushing attack and its 31st-best rushing attack."
The torn ACL and MCL Darrisaw suffered in the middle of the 2024 season seemed to impact his 2025 campaign more than they should have. It's easy to think the medical staff mismanaged the situation pretty badly, leading to lingering effects and missed games that didn't have to happen.
For his part, Darrisaw recently sounded ready to go when talking about how his knee feels .
"Best it’s felt in two years,” Darrisaw said, “I’m trending in the right direction. Full motion, everything feels great.”
By whatever measure you look at, Darrisaw is among the five or six highest-paid left tackles in the NFL right now. As that four-year, $104 million extension kicks in, it's time for him to put himself in that class of left tackles on the field.
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