Minnesota Vikings organized team activities (OTAs) are here in living color, and onlookers are beginning to learn a bit more about the 2025 team.
With OTAs in full effect, folks have already learned one central clue about the 2025 Vikings.
Most importantly, quarterback J.J. McCarthy looks and sounds the part of a promising young quarterback, and the 22-year-old will begin his on-the-job training on September 8th at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears.
But another clue emerged this week: newcomer offensive tackle Justin Skule will likely start in place of Christian Darrisaw if Darrisaw isn’t ready for Week 1. The veteran lineman tore his ACL in Los Angeles last October.
It’s Justin Skule at LT if No Christian Darrisaw
The clue arrived from Vikings.com this week. Lindsey Young explained, “Veteran newcomer Justin Skule filled in at left tackle for Christian Darrisaw, who is recovering from a knee injury he suffered in Week 8.”
She also noted on the offensive line, “While it certainly would be nice to see Fries on the field with his offensive line mates, O’Connell said there’s plenty to take in from the position group at this point. Blake Brandel, who started at left guard in 2024, lined up at right guard with the first group (and also took some snaps at left guard), and rookie Donovan Jackson lined up at left guard Wednesday.”
The Skule nugget was noteworthy because, until Wednesday, most fans merely assumed that Skule would take LT1 reps if Darrisaw weren’t ready for the start of the regular season.
Young’s revelation all but confirmed the theory.
Darrisaw’s Return Date Unknown
Darrisaw blew out his knee seven months ago. The timeline places Darrisaw back in the starting lineup sometime around Week 1, but no one is sure if the Vikings will pull the trigger.
This brand of Vikings leadership has a reputation for caution regarding long-term injury recoveries, so it wouldn’t be weird one bit for Darrisaw to skip all of September, for example.
In the meantime, based on the OTA clue, Skule would take over the LT job out of the gate.
Walter Rouse as a Possibility … Until This Week
Minnesota drafted Walter Rouse from Oklahoma in 2024, a 6th-Rounder to serve as depth for four seasons on an affordable contract. Leading into OTAs, mandatory minicamp, and eventually training camp, Rouse, in theory, could’ve been “the guy” at left tackle.
While that’s still possible, Skule should be considered the frontrunner, not Rouse.
Offseason rumors have also suggested that Rouse could play guard in 2025.
Other Injury Recoveries to Watch
Oddly, almost every major Vikings free-agent signing from March has an injury recovery to monitor. Will Fries broke his leg after five games with the Indianapolis Colts last year. New center Ryan Kelly finished 2024 on injured reserve. So did defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah bet big on his newcomers to bounce back from 2024 injuries. Darrisaw is right there with the gang per recovery watch.
Another contributor, cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, tore his ACL at training camp last year, but all indications point to his return for summer activities. Minnesota’s starting cornerback depth is arguably a bit suspect, meaning a healthy Blackmon will be beneficial for everyone. Blackmon played wonderfully as a rookie, but the ACL tear canceled his entire sophomore campaign.
PurplePTSD on Justin Skule
Janik Eckardt, at our partner webiste PurplePTSD, profiled Skule this week.
He wrote, “In March, Skule, 28, signed a one-year deal worth $2 million. The Vikings list the large human being at 6’6″ and 315 lbs. Skule came into the NFL in 2019 as a 49ers sixth-round pick out of Vanderbilt. He played in 15 regular-season games and three in the postseason in his debut season and even logged eight starts. That was a Super Bowl year for San Francisco, and they also knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs.”
“In his second campaign, in 2020, Skule appeared in 16 games with four starts. When it was time to compete for a starting job in 2021, the tackle suffered a torn ACL in the offseason, and he missed the entire season and failed to make the 53-man roster in 2022.”
Last year’s Justin Skule, a man named David Quessenberry, signed with the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday.
Eckardt added, “The Buccaneers then signed him in September of 2022, and he played in one game. In the last two seasons, he appeared in all 17 regular-season contests with the Bucs and logged five starts in 2024.”
“Skule brings experience to the table, especially in the role of a swing backup tackle, who has played both left and right tackle. The Vikings likely wanted to upgrade there. Skule’s PFF grade ranked 43rd out of 140 tackles last year.”
While Skule is an encouraging backup, fans will hope Darrisaw returns sooner rather than later.
