EAGAN, Minn. — Christian Darrisaw is just happy to be back playing football.
Chatting with reporters Wednesday following Minnesota's joint practice with New England, Darrisaw said it's "just like riding a bike" to be playing the sport he loves.
The Vikings left tackle has been rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered Week 8 of last season and confidently following a plan that's included rotating into some team drills. On the reps Darrisaw rests, Justin Skule steps in.
"I've been trusting this process throughout every day. I know the trainers wouldn't put me in a bad position, and I know how my body's feeling," Darrisaw said. "I'm feeling great. Today was a win. Part of that rehab process. We'll see how things respond, but we'll just keep taking it a day at a time."
Darrisaw enjoyed the atmosphere of Minnesota's first of two practices with New England, saying energy is "always on the higher end" when facing a new opponent at this point of training camp.
The Vikings offense saw some ups and downs during team periods against the Patriots defense — and the downs are no reason to panic, Darrisaw noted.
It's all about ironing out the wrinkles before things count.
"We know there's gonna be mistakes and things we haven't seen, and that's why we get the opportunity to go against a different defense in the practice setting, to kind of learn from those mistakes and hopefully not allow them to happen in the game," he explained. "We don't want to be out here making mistakes, but it's practice. Things are going to happen, so why not make them now and correct them, come back out here tomorrow, not make those mistakes and take that into the season."
Entering his fifth season in Purple, Darrisaw embraces his role as a vet on the offense and readily does whatever possible to support younger players that include QB J.J. McCarthy and 2025 first-round pick Donovan Jackson.
McCarthy may be slated as the league's youngest starting quarterback of the season, but his poise already reads as a pro.
"Great leader," Darrisaw said. "His confidence is through the roof, but we knew that from last year, and I feel like [last year's injury hasn't] affected him at all. He's still the same J.J. It's gonna be really fun come game days, blocking for him, protecting him and seeing the plays that he can make."
In regards to Jackson, Darrisaw has been impressed with the left guard's confidence and approach as he preps for his rookie campaign.
"He's a great football player, and we all knew that [when he was] coming in. As an offensive lineman, it's not easy taking that next step from the college level to the professional level, but just every day, he's getting more comfortable and just trusting the coaching," Darrisaw said. "And that's really the biggest thing, because Coach might want you to do something his way and something you're not used to, so it takes time; but he's growing every day, man, and he's really confident. I'm grateful to have the ability to play next to him.
"I tell him I'm there for him every step of the way — whether it's on the field, in the classroom, any questions he has, anything, I'm trying to make his job easier," he added.
Darrisaw grinned when asked about Jackson pancaking Patriots DB Jaylinn Hawkins on a screen pass to Aaron Jones, Sr. Jackson got out into space and dialed it up a notch, running over Hawkins and then blocking Jabrill Peppers to enable a long gain by Jones.
"It was like slow motion for a second, and then the running back kind of set him up, and he got two big blocks," Darrisaw said. "That was really an explosive play."
The Vikings will practice Thursday with the Patriots before facing off Saturday in the teams' second preseason game. Kickoff is set for noon (CT). Then another week of training camp practices (closed to fans) will be capped by Minnesota's final preseason game at Tennessee on Aug 22.
Darrisaw will just keep taking things a day at a time. For right now? He's feeling great.
"Today was a huge step, really going against a live group, guys I don't know well, so there really wasn't too much film or anything I could watch [ahead of time]," he said. "I feel like things went really well. We'll go watch the tape, correct the things that weren't [good] and move on."
"Just having that patience and knowing to really take this thing a day at a time and everything will be right. If you do this thing the right way, I'll be back on the field in no time," Darrisaw continued. "I'm just glad to be out here with my guys again. Watching from the bleachers, because I couldn't even be on the sideline last year … it was hard, but now I'm back out here now, and we're taking the right steps."
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