Minnesota Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw sustained a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee and will miss the rest of the season, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced Friday.
The Vikings activated two-time Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson and added him to the 53-man roster in place of Darrisaw, who is headed to injured reserve. An MRI confirmed the severity of Darrisaw’s injury.
Darrisaw was injured late in the first half of Thursday’s 30-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
He was engaged in blocking Los Angeles’ Jared Verse when Jaylen McCollough inadvertently rolled into his left knee. Darrisaw didn’t return to the game and left SoFi Stadium on crutches.
David Quessenberry replaced Darrisaw at left tackle — both played 25 snaps Thursday — and did not fare well, leading to speculation the Vikings could hit the trade market in search of a more stable replacement.
Darrisaw, 25, agreed to a four-year contract extension with Minnesota worth up to $113 million. The deal included $77 million guaranteed.
Hockenson began the season on the physically unable to perform list after tearing the ACL and MCL in his right knee on Dec. 24 in a 30-24 loss to his former team, the Detroit Lions.
The Vikings opened his 21-day window to resume practicing on Oct. 4, with Friday serving as the 21st day in which the team either had to activate him or lose him for the season.
“Looking forward to getting T.J. back in our offense,” O’Connell said. “It will be a significant boost for us.”
Hockenson, 27, was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Lions, who traded him to Minnesota in November 2022. In 72 career games (60 starts), Hockenson has 3,547 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns.
Before the injury last season, Hockenson had 95 catches on 127 targets for 960 yards and five TDs.
–Field Level Media
