Vikings Coach Gets Brutally Honest About $113 Million Star’s Absence
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell wasn’t thrilled when starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw was pulled at the start of the fourth quarter of a must-win game on Sunday.
Still reconditioning his body from a season-ending knee injury from last season, Darrisaw was on a pitch count and was sidelined with his team trailing in the final quarter against the Cleveland Browns. Walter Rouse stepped in for Darrisaw and helped Carson Wentz and the offense mount a 10-play, 80-yard game-winning drive.
But the team’s injuries early this season have proven difficult to navigate. O’Connell was candid after the game with a tongue-in-cheek response to navigating Darrisaw’s fluid availability this season.
Christian Darrisaw was part of a plan. We knew at some point, Christian, based upon the high snap count last week, we wanted to be smart with CD. [It] didn’t make it any easier, as far as having to navigate the end of the game there without one of the best left tackles in football,” O’Connell said in jest, “but I want to compliment CD and his willingness to continue to ramp up and be such a critical factor for our team.”
Darrisaw played all 76 offensive snaps in a Week 4 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, prompting the decision to have him on a pitch count against the Browns. He said he was “just listening to my body” when he was pulled, and that his body is still getting back into playing shape.
Darrisaw was still immensely impactful, helping hold Myles Garrett to a season-low two pressures despite three backups playing on the offensive line. He signed a four-year, $113 million deal in the 2024 offseason.
Vikings O-Line Facing Concerns as JJ McCarthy’s Return Nears
While Darrisaw will have the bye week to reset his body and hopefully be fully available moving forward, the Vikings offensive line is still on the mend.
Pro Bowl right tackle Brian O’Neill is week-to-week with an MCL injury. He missed last week and there has not been an update on his return to practice coming out of the Week 6 bye.
Meanwhile, starting center Ryan Kelly was placed on the injured reserve list after sustaining his second concussion in three weeks in Week 4. He will be unavailable until Week 10 at the earliest.
But there is some good news.
First-round rookie guard Donovan Jackson is expected to return to practice for a Week 7 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson underwent wrist surgery after Week 3 but remains on the active roster.
The Vikings may still be down Kelly and O’Neill coming out of the bye, but Justin Skule and Blake Brandel filled in admirably last week against a vaunted Browns defense.
That’s a step forward for the offensive line that will need to bring its A-game to help J.J. McCarthy, who could take over as starter coming out of the bye.
JJ McCarthy Expected to Return to Practice Ahead of Eagles Game
On Monday, O’Connell announced that McCarthy would return to practice next week and would also get some work during the bye week after missing the past three games with a high ankle sprain.
This is a significant step toward McCarthy returning as the team’s starting quarterback.
He will have his work cut out for him if he does return for a Week 7 matchup against a ferocious Eagles defensive front.
Steelers Lose 2nd Player in 8 Days to Practice Squad Poaching
Veteran linebacker Jon Rhattigan made his Pittsburgh Steelers debut during Week 2 as a practice squad elevation. That now appears likely to be the only time he will play in black and gold.
The linebacker’s agency, JL Sports, announced Tuesday night that the Las Vegas Raiders have signed Rhattigan off the Steelers practice squad.
This is the second time in eight days the Steelers have lost a defender on their practice squad via another team signing the player to their active roster. On September 30, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed undrafted rookie safety Sebastian Castro from the Steelers practice squad.
Rhattigan joined the Steelers after training camp but before Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season. The linebacker spent the offseason and most of August with the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers released Rhattigan on August 26 as part of their final roster cuts.
In his lone appearance for the Steelers, Rhattigan played six special teams snaps. He didn’t play on defense.
The Raiders added the veteran linebacker ahead of a home matchup against the Tennessee Titans in Week 6. The Steelers will play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Steelers Lose LB Jon Rhattigan to Raiders
The fact Pittsburgh’s practice squad players are worthy of consideration for active roster spots on other teams is a great sign. That speaks to the strong depth the Steelers have built this season.
But the end result is losing that depth. The Steelers have now lost a potential up-and-coming safety and veteran linebacker/special teams contributor in about a week’s span.
Rhattigan began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent in 2021. The linebacker signed with the Seattle Seahawks. As a rookie, he appeared in 14 games for the Seahawks, posting 10 combined tackles and a fumble recovery.
Rhattigan has never started an NFL game. But over three seasons in Seattle, he dressed for 36 games. Rhattigan then played 16 contests for the Panthers in 2024.
In 53 games overall, he has posted 44 combined tackles. Of the 1,044 snaps he’s taken in the NFL, 1,024 of them have come on special teams.
Rhattigan played a career-high 19 defensive snaps in Seattle during 2023.
In Las Vegas, Rhattigan will reunite with Pete Carroll. His first NFL coach, Carroll coached the linebacker with the Seahawks from 2021-23.
Steelers LB Depth Without Rhattigan
Mike Tomlin’s club has a healthy complement of linebackers on the active roster. Patrick Queen is their leader of the group while Payton Wilson and Cole Holcomb have split opportunities the past couple weeks.
Day 3 rookie Carson Bruener is also on the team’s active roster.
So linebacker practice squad depth isn’t necessarily a major need for the Steelers right now. However, the team suffered a significant practice squad setback at linebacker Tuesday.
A few hours prior to losing Rhattigan, the Steelers announced waiving linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley from the practice squad. Essentially, the team lost two practice squad linebackers Tuesday.
The Steelers signed running back Raheem Blackshear in place of Bentley.
Without Rhattigan, the team now has an open practice squad spot. It will be interesting to see if Tomlin and his staff use it to bring back Bentley.
An eight-year veteran, Bentley won the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots in 2018. He has posted 509 combined tackles, including 21 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks in 83 NFL games.
