After reports broke late this week that DC’s star quarterback Jayden Daniels would play for the first time in four weeks, the Commanders jumped to -1.5 point road favorites at U.S. Bank Stadium. On the home sideline, Minnesota will be getting their 2024 1st round QB back this week too.

Yet again, however, there questions surrounding who exactly will be blocking for JJ McCarthy, after both LT Christian Darrisaw and LG Donovan Jackson were listed as “Questionable” on the Minnesota Vikings’ final week 14 injury report.

Christian Darrisaw expected to play for Minnesota Vikings

All week, it felt like Darrisaw was more likely to play Sunday, than Jackson. That became especially true after head coach Kevin O’Connell suggested that the Vikings were hoping to have their starting left tackle available to hold down McCarthy’s blindside.

Then late Saturday night, NFL insider Ian Rapoport (NFL Network) made Darrisaw’s status for week 14 unofficially official. He’s good to go.

#Vikings LT Christian Darrisaw, who has a knee injury and is listed as questionable, is expected to play on Sunday, source said.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 7, 2025

Now, the Vikings will only be waiting to figure out the status of rookie Donovan Jackson. Both Darrisaw and Jackson have played just nine games this season (ouch).

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted the former Buckeye guard with the expectation that he could help solidify the interior of Minnesota’s offensive line, and he has for the most part, when healthy.

There have been high points for Jackson, but he has also needs to be more consistent. The Vikings can’t afford any more lackluster outcomes from quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and the offensive line has to give him a chance to compete.

Draft compensation is where the Minnesota Vikings should be focused, but in the meantime, a healthy group surrounding McCarthy will give the team their best chance to evaluate the future of their quarterback position.

Now turning their focus to a game against the Washington Commanders, McCarthy will be back under center. It will be a wait and see situation on the offensive line again, but the final injury report provides clarity elsewhere.

Offensive line uncertainty for MN Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings know that Jayden Daniels will be the opposing QB against them this weekend. And, they have to beat him without a pair of their defenders. If they are going to do so, having the offensive line intact would go a long way towards making that possible.

#WASvsMIN final injury report

OUT: Theo Jackson and Levi Drake Rodriguez

QUESTIONABLE: Ty Chandler*, Christian Darrisaw and Donovan Jackson

*Currently in 21-day return to practice window pic.twitter.com/VILtezFMXX

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 5, 2025

Both Theo Jackson and Levi Drake Rodriguez being out hurts the MN Vikings from a defensive depth perspective. The bigger key, though, would be having both Christian Darrisaw and Donovan Jackson ready to rock.

Earlier this week, head coach Kevin O’Connell mentioned that Darrisaw would go through a normal weekly progression and be expected to play. He had hope for Jackson, but was much less certain.

Both enter the contest with questionable tags, and they’ll presumably workout pregame to make sure they can handle a full workload. Darrisaw has missed three games this season with Jackson being unavailable for the same amount.

The Minnesota Vikings spent a bunch of money to beef up the offensive line in the offseason, and it has largely been a miss. The group has not been overly effective, and they have really struggled to stay on the field. If they can play together on Sunday against the Commanders, it will be just the second time it has happened all season.

Looking to get back on the field as well is Ty Chandler. The running back had contributed in the return game, and could be an option alongside Myles Price if the miscues continue.

Returning home for a matchup against the Washington Commanders, the Vikings will have J.J. McCarthy back under center. Max Brosmer made his NFL debut in Week 13 and left plenty to be desired, making McCarthy’s return even more significant.

Fortunately for Minnesota, 24 hours made a noticeable difference on the injury front.

Starters Galore Get Full Practices for Vikings

A staggering 15 players appeared on Wednesday’s injury report. While none have dropped off entirely, the situation now looks far less dire.

Thursday's #Vikings injury report pic.twitter.com/ILNCjdhgZf

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 4, 2025

Jonathan Allen, Blake Brandel, Ryan Kelly, Ty Chandler, and Jalen Redmond all upgraded from limited sessions due to health issues to full participants. Guard Donovan Jackson also moved closer to returning to full participation.

The Vikings have played without their full offensive line for most of the season. Coming off a concussion, McCarthy could certainly benefit from having as much protection as possible. Against an equally struggling Washington Commanders team, improved health up front could make a meaningful difference.

Thursday marked McCarthy’s second straight full practice, and it was also Ty Chandler’s first since his 21-day return window opened. The running back could be on track to play this weekend for the first time since Week 1, though activating him would require a corresponding roster move.

Washington Commanders May Have Their QB back

Jayden Daniels suffered a gruesome elbow injury earlier this season, prompting fears that his year would be over. Marcus Mariota has filled in capably, but Daniels logged a full practice on Thursday, signaling that a return may be imminent.

Thursday injury report#WASvsMIN | #RaiseHail

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 4, 2025

At 4-8, the Vikings probably shouldn’t be overly concerned with which quarterback they face. Still, they’ have’ve had poor luck with starters returning just in time to play them. Lamar Jackson came famously back from injury to beat Minnesota at U.S. Bank Stadium during his Ravens tenure.

It’s somewhat surprising that the 3-9 Commanders are willing to risk their young quarterback’s health, but competitors will always push to play. The two teams kick off on Sunday at 12pm.

Last weekend, the Vikings were once again without their full complement of starting offensive linemen, a recurring problem. Unfortunately it looks like that trend could continue on Sunday, even though some offensive firepower may return.

Offensive line remains a question for MN Vikings

Both Christian Darrisaw and Donovan Jackson have been question marks since leaving the game against Green Bay. Jackson didn’t play last weekend against the Seattle Seahawks, and both players will have designations worth monitoring this week.

Head Coach Kevin O’Connell provides an update on Donovan Jackson and Christian Darrisaw. pic.twitter.com/Brf7AYG82f

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 3, 2025

“Donovan is not quite there yet from a standpoint of participating in practice, but he’s rapidly recovering and doing everything in his power to be on the field. It’s been awesome to see, and we’ll see how that works towards the end of the week. He’s proven, coming off the wrist surgery earlier this year, he can go out there and play at a pretty high level if he can get to that place where he’s stable and has the power and change of direction. Like I said Monday, the plan for Christian is to have his normal work week and flow and play in the football game.”

Kevin O’Connell

There is good news: O’Connell believes Darrisaw will play Sunday. The talented left tackle missed the Seahawks game and has played in just nine contests this season. There seems to be less optimisim, however, that Jackson will be able to suit up.

The Vikings selected Jackson 24th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. His on-field performance has been something of a mixed bag, and like Darrisaw, he has appeared in only nine games. If quarterback J.J. McCarthy is going to succeed, doing so behind a healthy offensive line will be a critical part of the equation.

Ty Chandler trending towards Minnesota Vikings return

Outside of the offensive line, O’Connell also noted that the 21-day practice window would be opened for runningback Ty Chandler. Chandler has been out since Week 1 and can add a spark on offense and special teams.

Head Coach Kevin O’Connell has announced that the team is opening the 21-day evaluation window for running back Ty Chandler.

The #Vikings have also signed Joaquin Davis to the practice squad. pic.twitter.com/H0yg4i4UHJ

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 3, 2025

Chandler fell out of favor in the offensive rotation, but he returned three kicks for 84 yards in the season opener, including the critical late-game return that sealed Minnesota’s win over the Chicago Bears.

He may have lost the job to rookie Myles Price, though Price has made costly mistakes in recent weeks. Chandler could have an opportunity to reclaim his role down the stretch. This is the final year of his rookie contract, after he was drafted in the fifth round in 2022.

Joaquin Davis, a rookie wide receiver released by the Denver Broncos in August, has been added to the practice squad to provide depth after Adam Thielen’s departure to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Reports suggested that Max Brosmer would start for the Vikings after J.J. McCarthy left Week 12 concussed. That has now been confirmed by Minnesota, and the final injury report for Week 13 is now available.

Max Brosmer gets first career start for MN Vikings

Kevin O’Connell turned the quarterback position over to J.J. McCarthy this season. Things have not gone well and he owns a 2-4 record with a 54.1% completion rate. After suffering a concussion against Green Bay, he has officially been ruled out. It’s the Max Brosmer show this week.

Max Brosmer will get his first career start this Sunday in Seattle. pic.twitter.com/cmsG6woKND

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 28, 2025

After going undrafted following a strong senior season with the Minnesota Gophers, Brosmer showed out as his pro day and turned heads from the Minnesota Vikings. He played well during his preseason action, and has drawn rave reviews from multiple coaches.

Now 11 games into the season, Minnesota will give Brosmer a chance to pick up his first NFL win. It has been quite a meteoric rise for Brosmer, who just a couple of years ago, was playing at the FCS level.

In 13 games for the Gophers last season, Brosmer completed 66.5% of his passes for 2,828 yards and 18 touchdowns. Equipped with an even more weapons around him, Brosmer should be in a position to thrive.

With McCarthy inactive, veteran John Wolford will be elevated to serve as backup. Desmond Ridder was signed this week to provide depth throughout practice.

Offensive line incomplete again for Minnesota Vikings

It’s not just McCarthy that will be inactive this weekend. Both Christian Darrisaw and Donovan Jackson left the Green Bay Packers contest. It’s possible that Darrisaw is back, and that would be beneficial for Brosmer, but Jackson is out.

Final #MINvsSEA injury report

OUT: Donovan Jackson and J.J. McCarthy

QUESTIONABLE: Christian Darrisaw, Jonathan Greenard, Theo Jackson, Josh Metellus and Jalen Redmond pic.twitter.com/HiNF4xpte4

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 28, 2025

Jackson has now missed multiple games this season. Of 12 total, he will have played in just nine. Jonathan Greenard has missed multiple weeks now, and remains questionable. Jalen Redmond has filled in some on the edge, but popped up on the injury report Thursday with a hip issue.

The Vikings certainly can’t afford to be without both Theo Jackson and Josh Metellus. That is two-third of their starting safeties, and would leave aging veteran Harrison Smith on his own.

Minnesota was healthier than they have been all season against the Packers. Unfortunately that clean bill of health was fleeting and quickly reverted to the injury bug they have dealt with all season.

If the Vikings are going to rip off a victory in Seattle as double-digit underdogs this weekend, they’ll do so shorthanded on the offensive line yet again, unless they get substantially better news on the injury front Friday,

Minnesota Vikings offensive line remains a problem

Last weekend in Green Bay, the Vikings had their starting offensive line together, as intended, for the first time this season. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like that’ll be the case this week out west, after Christian Darrisaw and Donovan Jackson both missed their second-straight practice on Thursday.

Seahawks-Vikings injury report for Thursday. And Happy Thanksgiving, y’all. pic.twitter.com/c3X28IPCFO

— John Boyle (@johnpboyle) November 27, 2025

Jackson has played in nine games this season, and so too has Darrisaw. The lack of availability doesn’t bode well for either, and short of limited participation on Friday, both will be out.

If Darrisaw is unable to go, then Brosmer will be looking to survive his first career start while having backup Justin Skule protect his blindside. Jackson being unavailable would force Blake Brandel back into action.

Both Justin Jefferson and Harrison Smith were upgraded from limited to full participation. A hip injury also put Jalen Redmond on the injury report as a limited participant.

Although quarterback J.J. McCarthy logged a second-straight limited practice, he has yet to clear concussion protocol. Minnesota signed veteran depth quarterback Desmond Ridder on Thursday.

Injuries have hamstrung the Vikings all year. They look to be trending in the wrong direction once again, and that’s not good news for a team that’s already 4-7.

Beyond just Minnesota losing on Sunday in Green Bay, both Christian Darrisaw and Donovan Jackson failed to finish the game. The Vikings intended starting offensive line had not paired together through the first 11 weeks of the season, and they didn’t finish together during their first opportunity.

Things aren’t looking up to start the week either.

Minnesota Vikings still hurt up front

Max Brosmer is projected to start for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday against the Seattle. With how poorly J.J. McCarthy has played, it would not be a shock to see him elevate the offense. As has been the case most of the season though, he may not have a full offensive line in front of him.

The #Vikings first injury report of the week. pic.twitter.com/n5sHys5JQe

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 26, 2025

Both Jackson and Darrisaw were limited in practice to start the week for the Minnesota Vikings. Kevin O’Connell’s team has additional days to get ready for their road trip, but the linemen need to see a boost in their availability sooner rather than later.

Head Coach Kevin O’Connell shares an update on Donovan Jackson and Christian Darrisaw. pic.twitter.com/sh87eV2Wi8

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 26, 2025

“Both those guys, they will not participate today. Donovan obviously dealing with his ankle, and it’s sore, but we’ve had conversations about seeing what the rest of his week looks like as possibly being available for this week. At the same time, he’ll have to kind of improve from where he’s at right now to have a chance to play, which is very possible. Christian is working through just some soreness, but hopefully we’ll have a chance to get him some work here as the week goes on and determine his status for the game.”

Kevin O’Connell

Neither Darrisaw nor Jackson finished the game for the Minnesota Vikings in Green Bay. Each of them are integral parts of the offensive line. It has been evident at multiple points this season how much of a dropoff there is from Darrisaw to backup Justin Skule. Jackson was a first round pick for a reason as well.

If the Vikings want fill-in quarterback Max Brosmer to put the best foot forward, then a capable offensive line is part of the process. Should Darrisaw now be able to go, Skule would take over. Blake Brandel, who has filled in at center for Ryan Kelly, is the next man up at the guard position.

This offseason the Vikings spent a considerable amount of money in the trenches. Thus far the offensive line specifically has failed to stay on the field. That has been tough to overcome, and the play of McCarthy has not made it any easier.

Minnesota kicks off against Seattle on Sunday with a 4-7 record. They’ll hope to best the 8-3 Seahawks led by 2024 14-game winner Sam Darnold.

The timing couldn’t have been any better, either, facing hated division rival Green Bay in a game the Vikings had to win to keep their 2025 season alive. Unfortunately, their young quarterback let the team down yet again, in a 23-6 loss, the type of failure that’s becoming dangerously routine for the redshirt rookie out of Michigan.

Just as we have seen for the past few weeks, the Minnesota Vikings offense was stuck in the mud all Sunday afternoon in Green Bay. On the day, JJ McCarthy & Co put up a total of 6 points against a Packers defense that feasted on their young quarterback all day.

With every week that goes by, it becomes more and more obvious that the Vikings’ No. 1 problem is their second-year QB. Against the Packers in week 12, not only did the kid QB throw for just 87 total yards, but for the third-straight game, McCarthy threw two interceptions.

MN Vikings walk out of Green Bay with more OL injuries…

For the non-math wizzes out there, that’s SIX total interceptions. In those same three games, the 2024 No. 10 overall draft pick threw just TWO touchdowns. And worse yet, that newly healthy offensive line we opened this article talking about… doesn’t look all that healthy anymore.

After a pair of concussions landed him on injured reserve, veteran center Ryan Kelly was back to lead the offensive line. Will Fries was out of practice early in the week, but he took the field Sunday as well.

Unfortunately two other o-linemen — left tackle Christian Darrisaw and left guard Donovan Jackson — did not escape so lucky, both exiting early with ankle injuries. On a positive note, neither seems overly serious… but it’s too early in the process to start guessing at availability for week 13.

Head Coach Kevin O'Connell provides injury updates following today's game. pic.twitter.com/5dO0LXvwI0

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 23, 2025

“Christian Darrisaw had an ankle that he tried to play through. Eventually he came out of the game. Donovan Jackson also had an ankle and a foot and was trying to come back in the game. The trainers thought it would be best to hold him out as well. Metellus had a shoulder, but was battling through that, and able to return.”

Kevin O’Connell

Darrisaw has proven to be an instrumental part of the line, but we knew that coming into the year. The Minnesota Vikings needed their young, talented LT at full strength against Micah Parsons, and he was far from that.

The Vikings opened as 9.5 point underdogs tonight, for their matchup one week from Sunday, another road game, this time out west against the QB that got away, Sam Darnold, and his new team, the Seattle Seahawks.

Among them is rookie guard Donovan Jackson, who is just a few weeks removed from a mid-season wrist surgery. That would be big news for the Vikings, whose injury issues have been especially bad on the offensive line. Jackson played the first three games of the season, where he was very impressive for a first-year player.

In fact, losing their promising first round pick has turned out to be one of the more crucial injuries on the roster, and one of the reasons the MN Vikings feel lucky to be 3-2 coming out of the bye.

Donovan Jackson talked himself into Vikings game

Their best game of the season probably came against the Cincinnati Bengals, before the Vikings boarded a plane to Dublin. That week three contest also happened to be the last time Jackson played, before undergoing wrist surgery.

He almost didn’t take the field, however, and who knows what ripple effects that would have caused. We found out after that 48-10 victory that Donovan Jackson and the Vikings knew his wrist required a procedure, earlier that week.

Because of that, trainers and coaches urged Jackson not to play in that game, even though he was not going to get surgery until after. When the former Ohio State standout found out he couldn’t hurt himself any worse by playing, there was no way he was sitting out, as he told reporters on Tuesday.

#Vikings 1st-round pick Donovan Jackson details the conversations he had with doctors about his wrist procedure — they advised him to sit out Week 3, but Jackson decided to play through it to get the surgery a week later:

“I was told that it was a significant injury in terms of… pic.twitter.com/Regri3fdw0

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) October 13, 2025

Related: Minnesota Vikings in for Longer-Term Change at Center

Jackson also answered the question as to whether or not him getting through a game would have meant he didn’t need surgery at all. The training staff cautioned him of that thought process and noted, with him being young, it made sense to get it fixed so it’s not a problem in the future.

Minnesota Vikings o-line getting awfully healthy…?

Now eyeing a return to the field, Minnesota’s offensive line is getting dangerously close to full-health. If Jackson and O’Neill can both return, they’ll be short just one starter, veteran center Ryan Kelly (concussion). But Donovan Jackson, next to Christian Darrisaw, and opposite Will Fries + Brian O’Neill, sounds a heck of a lot better than what we’ve gotten to watch so far this season.

During his debut against the Chicago Bears, Jackson graded out as one of the best guards in the league. We’ll see how he looks Sunday when the Eagles come to town.

Kevin O’Connell’s squad has consistently been beat up through the first five games of the season. They are now trending towards a cleaner bill of health, and he provided clarity on the injury status of multiple players on Monday.

JJ McCarthy back on the field for Minnesota Vikings

MN Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has been on the sidelines after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons. He made the trip overseas with the intention of returning to practice, but that didn’t happen. He did get work in during the bye week, and is officially on the practice field this week.

Head Coach Kevin O'Connell gives an update on @jjmccarthy09 pic.twitter.com/h1quJAWjdl

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 13, 2025

“We had some good work last week. It was great to get back on the grass and head some good sessions out there…Very excited to get him back officially practicing. I don’t necessarily want to put a percentage on where I think he’s at health wise.”

Kevin O’Connell

The Vikings head coach talked about working with McCarthy on foundational throwing principles, and building back from the ground up. O’Connell wants to stress different ways to find success for his young quarterback, and being able to work with him in a practice capacity again continues to provide a path for that development.

It remains to be seen what the situation will look like on Sunday. Reports have varied as to where he is at from a health perspective. Carson Wentz will also be practicing after dealing with a non-throwing shoulder injury. He is doing better, but consistent hits have put a strain on him physically.

Minnesota welcomes the Philadelphia Eagles to U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday and who is under center could be a question mark until late in the week.

Blake Cashman eyeing return to Vikings defense

Linebacker Blake Cashman has spent the past four weeks on injured reserve and his absence has certainly been felt. Ivan Pace Jr. has struggled, and veteran Eric Wilson has done his best to hold down the fort. Cashman had his practice window opened on Monday, and he’ll be on the field looking to get back in game action.

Head Coach Kevin O'Connell provides updates following bye week pic.twitter.com/6yamlLagq9

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 13, 2025

“Blake Cashman’s window will open up today. We’ll go out for some on-field work today to kind of get the week kicked off. We’ll also have Donovan Jackson, Michael Jurgens, Brian O’Neill, and J.J. McCarthy taking part in the work today, as well as throughout the week. It will be great to get Cash back on the practice field, opening that window up. He’s done a heckuva job getting himself ready to go. Give him the week of preparation and see where he’s at towards the tail end of the week.”

Kevin O’Connell

Cashman played 14 games for the Vikings last year in his first season after signing as a free agent. Injuries have marred his career, and he was placed on injured reserve after Week 1 this season. He is of significant importance to the Vikings front seven as the green dot on defense and a talented leader.

It’s a positive outcome that Cashman may wind up missing the minimum and could be back on the field against Philadelphia. Being joined by O’Neill, Jackson, and Jurgens is also a positive from the offensive side of things.

The Minnesota Vikings starting offensive line hasn’t played together all year. They’ll still be down center Ryan Kelly, but if that trio can get back on the field together, then whoever is under center will have the best opportunity for success that we have seen to date.

O’Connell did note that edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel will be working on a side field during practice. He continues to deal with a neck injury and the timeline there is murky at best.

As practices go on this week, the injury report will be key to continue monitoring ahead of Sunday’s showdown. The Eagles are coming off two straight losses, and they just abruptly lost pass rusher Za’Darius Smith to retirement.