Source – Vikings LT Christian Darris was out for the remainder of the season

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Minnesota Vikings have lost left tackle Christian Darrisaw, one of their best players and one of the best at his position in the NFL, this season to a left knee injury.

Darrisaw suffered the injury late in the first half of the Vikings' 30-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night. Tests conducted Friday in Minnesota revealed the need for season-ending surgery.

The team did not immediately confirm the news. Coach Kevin O'Connell is scheduled to speak to reporters later Friday. Veteran David Quessenberry replaced him on Thursday night and would be the Vikings' most likely option to fill the position for the duration of the season.

The 25-year-old Darrisaw has been the Vikings' starting left tackle since they made him the No. 23 overall pick in the 2021 draft. He has battled a number of injuries but put in good performances that earned him a four-year contract extension worth up to $113 million.

Thursday night's injury occurred when Darrisaw blocked with 35 seconds left in the first half. Rams safety Jaylen McCollough fell on the side of his left knee and team medics helped him go straight to the locker room as the Vikings ended the half.

The Vikings had possession at their own 3-yard line, but had all three timeouts. Instead of kneeling on the ball to end the half, O'Connell said he wanted to see if the offense could potentially get into position to score. The Rams also had a timeout that would have resulted in the Vikings having to kneel twice in the tight space between the line of scrimmage and the end zone.

“They had good defense on the field,” O'Connell said, “so I thought maybe we could make a run. I don't know if we were necessarily in the sights of that group out there, and I think if we were, then maybe. “The ball has a chance to move. If we go with the timeouts that we had left at this point and get it on first, there's a chance that we might try to move a few things up and not give them a chance to double up. We're with them at the start of the second half.