Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw will not begin training camp on a restricted list, signaling his rapid recovery from torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments and a positive omen as Minnesota introduces another new starting quarterback.
Darrisaw is already active in individual and position-specific work 10 months after he tore the MCL and ACL in his left knee Week 8 at Los Angeles, one of the team’s three regular-season losses last season.
Second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy is the starter for the Vikings. They’ll turn to the first-round pick after Sam Darnold signed with the Seahawks in free agency. The previous offseason, Kirk Cousins bowed out in free agency to sign with the Falcons.
Darrisaw’s status was a mild surprise because of his limited participation in minicamp. Three weeks after a published report put Darrisaw’s availability for the start of the regular season in doubt, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said Minnesota is counting on their left tackle and new right guard Will Fries being on the field this month.
“I want to highlight the work they put in this summer to put themselves in a position to be out on the grass practicing, all in different capacities,” O’Connell said. “We are very pleased with where those guys are at and, you know, their timelines to fully returning to daily participation.”
Fries fractured his right tibia during a Week 5 start for the Colts but checked out medically and passed his physical before signing with the Vikings as a free agent in March.
–Field Level Media
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