Minnesota Vikings Left Tackle to Return in Week 15

The Minnesota Vikings should get one of their best offensive players back in time for the final month of the season. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw told reporters Tuesday afternoon that he is fully recovered from his concussion and expects to return for Week 15's game against the Indianapolis Colts.

#Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw on his expected return Saturday vs. Colts after missing three games due to concussion: “I’m ready to go. I feel like myself again.”
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) December 13, 2022

Darrisaw has missed the last three games due to a concussion suffered in the Vikings' 40-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11. His absence coincided with a disastrous day for the Vikings offense; starting quarterback Kirk Cousins absorbed seven sacks and netted a mere 56 passing yards on 30 dropbacks. It was Darrisaw's second concussion in as many weeks.

Darrisaw is one of the league's premier young offensive linemen, so his return should allow the Vikings to hit their stride as they prepare for the playoffs. At 10-3 with a loss to the 12-1 Philadelphia Eagles already in their ledger, the Vikings don't have a realistic shot at the NFC's top seed. However, they can still benefit from re-establishing their chemistry and finding their rhythm over the last four games of the season.

Darrisaw joined the Vikings as their 23rd overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and quickly established himself as their long-term blindside protector. He received a respectable 71.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus as a rookie, but he has joined the upper echelons of the league's tackles this year, earning an elite 90.0 overall grade over his first 10 games this season.