After pair of concussions, Vikings tackle Christian Darrisaw ‘ready to get back doing what I do’

There’s only one player standing in the way of Christian Darrisaw being ranked the No. 1 offensive tackle in the NFL by Pro Football Focus: His idol.

The Vikings’ second-year star got a kick out of the analytics site rating him this week as the second-best tackle in the league behind San Francisco’s Trent Williams. Darrisaw grew up in Maryland and looked up to Williams when he played for Washington from 2010-18.

“That is pretty cool. I wear 71 because that is his number,” Darrisaw said of Williams. “That’s something I’ve worked for, just trying to be the best player I can be when I go out there and just be great. I know the sky’s the limit. I’m just getting started and I’ve got a lot more work to do, but it’s pretty cool.”

After missing three games following a second concussion, the 6-foot-3, 315-pound left tackle will be back in the lineup for Saturday’s game against Indianapolis at U.S. Bank Stadium. He went through a full week of practice, and was not on Thursday’s final injury report.

“I feel great,” he said. “I’m fired up and ready to go.”

Darrisaw can resume his standing as one of the best tackles in the NFL after a frustrating past month. He suffered the first concussion of his life Nov. 13 at Buffalo. He returned to the lineup Nov. 20 against Dallas, and suffered another one.

Darrisaw set a goal before the season to get his first Pro Bowl nod. If that happens, he would be ahead of the pace set by Williams, who didn’t make the first of his nine career Pro Bowls until his third season in the NFL.

When Williams was in Minnesota for the 49ers’ joint practices with the Vikings in August, he told reporters he sees “a lot of myself in (Darrisaw), especially the young Trent.” Before that, the 49ers left tackle said the same thing to Darrisaw.

“He told me those things, that he sees in me a younger version of himself,” said Darrisaw, who communicates regularly with Williams. “I have huge respect for Trent. He’s the best in the game. He’s a hall of famer. Just hearing that from him was a little extra motivation.”

Darrisaw has a chance to become the best left tackle the Vikings have had in decades. The franchise’s only Pro Bowl left tackles this century have been Bryant McKinnie in 2009 and Matt Kalil in 2012.

“He can be as good as he wants to be,” Vikings running back Dalvin Cook said. “The upside and the potential of him being an all-pro in this league and a superstar tackle in this league is right there for him. Just keep putting in the work.”

Cook dresses next to Darrisaw in the Vikings’ locker room. When he comes in, Cook said Darrisaw often has “that look on his face like he’s just ready to go pancake somebody.”

On Thursday, Darrisaw was more relaxed. He told Cook, who has 950 yards rushing this season, he can expect to reach 1,000 against the Colts.

“We’re about to get 1K this weekend for Dalvin,” Darrisaw said. “We’re about to make it happen.”

Darrisaw said he’s “ready to get back doing what I do.” While he doesn’t know how he got the concussion against the Bills, he said the one against Dallas came when he banged helmets with defensive end Dorance Armstrong early in the second quarter.

“I’ve got to kind of throw my hands out and shoot my head back,” Darrisaw said of what he learned from that play.

With Darrisaw out, the Vikings have had trouble running the ball, and his return should help in that regard. In last Sunday’s 34-23 loss at Detroit, they managed just 22 yards on the ground.

Darrisaw had been cleared medically to play against the Lions went through only one practice as a full participant prior to the game. So the Vikings wanted him to get a full week of practice this week before returning to game action.

“I am happy we made sure we were patient with this process,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said. “I think he’s really benefitted from that, and it’s been good to see him get back in there.”

Like Williams, O’Connell touted Darrisaw’s potential before the season. And this week he offered a reminder of that.

“I wasn’t making it up when I told you early on that I thought he had a real chance to be a premier player at his position,” the coach said.

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