Do you know how many days it had been since Christian Darrisaw last played in a game?
Because he does.
That's the first thing he told reporters following Minnesota's 48-10 rout of Cincinnati on Sunday:
"It's been 332 days since my last game," Darrisaw said. "And man, it felt great to be out there."
The Vikings left tackle stood sweaty and smiling, eye black smeared across his face as he reflected on his first game back since suffering a significant knee injury during Week 8 of the 2024 season.
It's been a long journey. But what many don't know is that doctors predicted the path would actually be several weeks longer.
"Twelve months," Darrisaw said of the initial projection. "A lot of people didn't know that. Kinda antsy, just hearing all the noise, 'When is he gonna play? When is he gonna play?' But I'm ahead of schedule. No one thought I would be here right now, being able to play at the level I'm playing. That is a testament to the hard work.
"I knew my time was coming," he said. "My body allowed me to be here today earlier than we projected me to be playing. So I'm just really grateful for the training staff and the work I put in."
Darrisaw played 38 offensive snaps of a possible 60 against the Bengals, spelled by Blake Brandel for the very end of the second quarter and again toward the end of the blow-out game when Minnesota pulled a number of its starters.
According to analytics site Pro Football Focus, Darrisaw allowed zero sacks, zero QB hits and just one pressure of Carson Wentz, who started in place of an injured J.J. McCarthy.
Darrisaw also helped Jordan Mason rack up 116 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Right tackle Brian O'Neill emphasized just how significant Darrisaw's return is.
"That doesn't happen unless you're dialed in from the day that you get surgery, 'til the day you play again," O'Neill said. "I'm really proud of him for fighting his way back and going out there, and he made a difference."
Throughout the offseason program and preseason, Darrisaw had been working his way back, taking limited team reps during training camp and then receiving guidance from Minnesota's training staff based on how his knee responded.
His level of practice participation since the start of the regular season also has varied, and Darrisaw was designated as "questionable" on Weeks 1, 2 and 3 injury reports.
Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell has reiterated along the way the importance of being smart with Darrisaw, of playing the long game rather than rushing him back too quickly.
In tandem, Darrisaw has patiently bided his time and listened to the advice and direction of medical and training staff.
But throughout the week leading into the Vikings-Bengals matchup, he felt the best he has yet — and knew the time had come to don a game jersey.
O'Connell saw it, too.
"He was the first guy to every drill, first guy in the huddle, just a juice that quite honestly elevated our entire team," O'Connell said during his postgame press conference. "I think we felt it throughout the week. I think the confidence level that his teammates had, our quarterback had, was felt.
"I knew early in the week we would have a chance, but at the same time, it was going to be a process," O'Connell continued. "The work from the start of his rehab, from the moment he had the procedure, to now, I could get emotional talking about it, just because I'm there every day. And I see it. I see the journey that this guy's been on, and the love of football and the love of his teammates every single day, working back to this moment."
Though it had been months since Darrisaw had played in an NFL game, he knocked the rust off within the first couple of drives and settled into a rhythm.
He was flagged for a false start on the ninth offensive play of the afternoon and was not penalized again the rest of the way.
"Getting those first two series out of the way [was all it took]," Darrisaw said. "After my false start, I'm like, 'All right, here we are locked in, back on the field with my brothers.' Man, it felt great to go against a different defense in a live [game]. Actually, it was amazing. It was really fun."
That Bengals defense included four-time Pro Bowler Trey Hendrickson, who logged just a single tackle and no sacks Sunday.
"Being able to go out there and play against the rushers they have, playing against Trey — I got a lot of respect for him, he's one of the best in the game — but just to go out there and get that result we got as a team, it felt amazing," Darrisaw said.
Following the win, O'Connell handed out game balls to members of the offense, defense and special teams who especially shined. And though it's not typically something you can plan ahead of time, he noted he'd had a ball with Darrisaw's name on it prior to kickoff.
"Regardless of what transpired today, I had this waiting for this player," O'Connell said. "It's been a long time coming, but nobody's had a journey over the last 10-and-a-half, 11 months like this guy. And the look in his eye all week long in practice told me everything was going to be all right. And not only all right — 71 came back and set the tone for our whole offense."
Darrisaw's teammates concurred.
"Big-time," Justin Jefferson said of the tackle's return. "Big-time. A player like that, we need him on that field.
"C.D., you know, seeing what he's been dealing with, seeing the hard work he put in to get out there on that field — he didn't rush anything," Jefferson continued. "He didn't rush to come back Week 1; he was coming back whenever he was ready and we needed him the most. So, I'm glad his first game back was a performance like this."
Added O'Connell: "I told him out on the field, 'If there's ever a question of what a franchise left tackle means to an organization, I think we felt it today.' "
View the 2025 Vikings Schedule.
Check out the 2025 International games.
View future opponents for the Vikings.
Buy single game tickets.
Download the official Vikings App.
