EAGAN, Minn. — All eyes will be on quarterbacks Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy when the Minnesota Vikings kickoff training camp Wednesday in Eagan.
Darnold, an offseason signing with six years of NFL experience, is the odds-on favorite to take over for veteran Kirk Cousins, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons back in March. However, if McCarthy has a solid camp, there could be a debate.
There's no debate, however, who will be blocking their blindside.
Since being drafted No. 23 overall by the Vikings back in 2021, Christian Darrisaw has been among the best left tackles in the entire league. He's started 39 of 41 games and is fresh off a season where he recorded the third-highest pass block grade among all offensive linemen who played at least 50% of the offensive snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
That consistency and production haven't gone unnoticed.
The Vikings announced they've agreed to a four-year extension with Darrisaw, keeping him in Minnesota through the 2029 season.
According to NFL Insider Tom Pelissero, the extension is worth up to $113 million with $77 million guaranteed.
The Vikings also announced that they're bringing back cornerback Duke Shelley, who was a surprise signing for the Vikings back in 2022. After getting waived by NFC North rival Chicago on Aug. 31, 2022, Minnesota signed him a week later to its practice squad. He was inserted into the lineup following an injury to cornerback Cam Dantzler, and almost immediately made an impact.
He spent 2023 with the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Rams.
