Minnesota Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw was ruled out of Thursday’s holiday date with the New England Patriots due to a concussion.
Darrisaw left the past two games with head injuries, and surrendered two QB sacks on Sunday to the Dallas Cowboys before leaving the game in the second quarter.
Darrisaw, a first-round pick in 2021, left the 40-3 loss to the Cowboys on Sunday in the second quarter. He left the game following a third-down sack allowed to Dorance Armstrong.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said the Vikings won’t take any chances by playing Darrisaw on a short turnaround this week when Minnesota (8-2) plays the Patriots (6-4).
“My concern is just about CD. He’ll be in the protocol like he was last week,” O’Connell said. “He checked all those boxes going into [Sunday]. This is one of our best players, and we want him to have a long future.”
Blake Brandel, a Vikings sixth-round pick in 2020, is expected to start at left tackle against the Patriots. New England outside linebacker Matthew Judon leads the NFL with 13 sacks in 2022.
Darrisaw entered Week 11 as the highest-graded offensive lineman in the NFL as evaluated by Pro Football Focus.
On the one-on-one rep against Armstrong where the second concussion is suspected to have taken place, the left tackle and right defensive end appear to knock helmets and Darrisaw’s head jolts backward.
“There was actually an impact to his helmet, his head and neck area that caused him to be pulled out of the game,” O’Connell said.
–Field Level Media