The Minnesota Vikings are starting Carson Wentz at quarterback against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night, purportedly due to hamstring tightness plaguing Kyler Murray. But regardless of which QB the team actually thinks gives it the best chance to best the Bills, those odds drop significantly for either player if starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw isn’t in the lineup to protect their blindsides.
Fortunately for Wentz, Darrisaw is trending in the right direction following a shoulder injury that limited him in practice on Thursday. Minnesota designated Darrisaw as a full participant in practice via its injury report on Friday, November 6, which means all signs now point to the $104 million LT playing against Buffalo absent any unforeseen setbacks.
Darrisaw suffered a concussion earlier this season, just the most recent such injury of his career, against the Miami Dolphins in Week 4. That injury necessitated his exit from the game in question and cost him another contest the following week against the New Orleans Saints.
He continued to heal over the team’s bye and returned against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6. Darrisaw also played last weekend against the Detroit Lions in the Vikings’ first loss of the season.
Christian Darrisaw in Midst of Down Year in 2026
When healthy, Darrisaw has spent much of his six-year NFL career rated as among the best left tackles, and offensive linemen in general, across the league. That has not been the case this season, however.
According to Pro Football Network, Darrisaw’s player impact score is a 71.7 thus far in 2026, which ranks him 119th out of 141 offensive linemen who have seen enough snaps to qualify.
In fact, all of the four Vikings’ linemen who currently qualify for a ranking are struggling this year, based on PFN’s metrics. Right tackle Brian O’Neill has the best player impact score of 77.6, which places him 64th overall, which is just over the average line.
Center Blake Brandel is second on the team (75.1), while guard Will Fries is third (73.6). No other Vikings linemen have qualified for a rating.
Vikings Defense Faces Daunting Task for Second Week in a Row With Bills Coming to Town
The offense has been predictably ineffective in Minnesota due to a lack of high-level O-line and quarterback play. That will have to change if the Vikings hope to keep up with Buffalo on “Monday Night Football.”
Minnesota’s defense remains elite, holding the juggernaut Lions’ attack to just 19 points last week. But even that wasn’t enough to get the team’s seventh straight victory because the offense struggled so mightily.
Meanwhile, the Bills present similar problems as one of the league’s top offenses at 33.3 points per game.
The Vikings are a strong candidate to add a running back ahead of the trade deadline, which is Tuesday, November 10. However, it is unlikely that a move will come before their contest Monday night. And even if it does, that player probably won’t be heavily featured given how quick the turnaround will be.
Vikings Offense Gets Huge Boost With Update on $104 Million Star