Just as it's been for the entire Minnesota Vikings organization, the 2025 season definitely hasn't gone how Christian Darrisaw envisioned it would.
Optimism filled the air during the offseason when Darrisaw took part in mandatory minicamp drills just a little more than a handful of months after he suffered a torn ACL. Vikings fans were even more encouraged when he took part in training camp this past summer, and he didn't begin the 2025 regular season on the team's physically unable to perform list.
However, the 2025 campaign has mostly been filled with a bunch of questions for Darrisaw, as his health status has fluctuated literally every week.
With Minnesota no longer able to compete for a playoff spot this year, some have wondered if the team will shelf their starting left tackle for their final three games. On Thursday, ESPN's Kevin Seifert shared that Darrisaw declined to comment on his status for the rest of the season.
"Christian Darrisaw said he preferred not to talk today when approached in the locker room. He said he couldn’t answer a question about whether he will play again this season."
Minnesota Vikings LT Christian Darrisaw adds more questions to a 2025 season full of them
Looking back, one could easily make the argument that Darrisaw returned too soon this year.
His first game back was in the Vikings' Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, and it seemed like he would be good to go for the rest of the season.
Since then, however, Darrisaw has missed two more games (Week 12 and Week 14), and in his 10 starts this year, he's been on the field for 100 percent of Minnesota's offensive snaps for only five of them.
In place of Darrisaw at left tackle in Week 1 and Week 2 this season, the Vikings went with veteran offensive tackle Justin Skule. In those two games, Skule allowed seven quarterback pressures according to data from PFF, and it's fair to wonder if those two underwhelming performances resulted in Minnesota rushing Darrisaw back on the field too soon this season.
The decision to have him play in Week 3 now looks like one that the Vikings would like to have back. A hobbled Darrisaw was still better than a fully healthy Skule, but Minnesota should have been more focused on the future of its starting left tackle, as it's now very obvious that his knee wasn't recovered enough to endure the typical wear-and-tear of an entire NFL season.