Darrisaw extended

[makila]

Locked darrisaw up to a four year extension. Team controlled through 2029 (his age 29 season). Ufa in 2030.

https://www.vikings.com/news/christian- ... s-to-terms

https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/18158 ... _e4iw&s=19

Schefter tweet above:

Vikings and OT Christian Darrisaw have agreed on a four-year deal worth up to $113 million in new money, including $77 million guaranteed. Darrisaw had two years left on his rookie contract. Deal includes $43.7 million guaranteed at signing. Deal negotiated by Drew Rosenhaus, Jason Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey.
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Alec Lewis @ Athletic:

Vikings tackle Christian Darrisaw signs massive extension worth up to $113M
By Alec Lewis
2h ago

Rick Spielman admitted he was worried. It was the spring of 2021, NFL Draft night, and players’ names started to fill up on the projector screens inside the Minnesota Vikings’ draft room.

Spielman, then the Vikings’ general manager, had traded down from No. 14 to No. 23 because he thought the Vikings could add draft capital and still bring in a difference maker — specifically, left tackle Christian Darrisaw. It was a good idea in theory, but he had to wait to see if it would work out.

And wait.

And … wait.

One of the Vikings’ screens lit up with Zaven Collins’ name at No. 16. You could hear the deep breaths. At 17, black and gray popped up; the Las Vegas Raiders had drafted Alex Leatherwood. Some staffers nervously bit the ends of pens. Others fidgeted at their desks.

Getting antsy, Spielman grabbed a phone and made some calls. Could he trade back up? He negotiated. No deal surfaced, so he was back to waiting. The Indianapolis Colts picked at No. 21, and Spielman believed Darrisaw would be an option.

The room erupted when Kwity Paye’s name panned onto the blue and white line. Darrisaw was Minnesota’s.

Three years and thousands of snaps later, the Vikings building skipped with joy once again over the soft-spoken, almost boringly dominant offensive lineman. On Tuesday, Darrisaw, now 25, agreed to terms on a four-year, $113 million contract extension — with $77 million guaranteed — that comes with the highest average annual value ($28.5 million) of any tackle in the NFL.

While deals of this magnitude are rare for players who have only played three seasons (Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has said as much), the move was not surprising. In the spring, Darrisaw switched agents, signing with Drew Rosenhaus, who has an exceptional relationship with the Vikings brass and ample experience negotiating these types of contracts. Pair that with Darrisaw’s presence at voluntary organized team activities, and it’s clear that the two sides remained in each other’s good graces.

Six weeks ago, following Justin Jefferson’s extension, Adofo-Mensah explained that the most team-friendly way to acquire or keep talent was to extend homegrown players. This action, like the Jefferson deal, verifies his words.

There are many positive ramifications of this extension. J.J. McCarthy’s blind side is cemented for the future. Minnesota’s offense now has multiple impact players, like Jefferson and tight end T.J. Hockenson, secured for the foreseeable future. Training camp won’t bring hoopla, only football-specific conversation.

And for that, Adofo-Mensah deserves credit. He inherited two budding stars and, without any validated external consternation, consummated extensions for both. That’s a rare occurrence in the social media era.

This extension, however, does close the book on the gifts Adofo-Mensah was given when he arrived. No more Spielman-drafted stars are waiting in the wings. The onus is now on Adofo-Mensah to draft, develop and extend the type of pillar Darrisaw has proven to be.

His path was not prototypical. Darrisaw grew up in Upper Marlboro, Md., and attended Riverdale Baptist High School, about 18 miles east of Washington D.C. His high school coach, Caesar Nettles, begged college coaches to give Darrisaw a scholarship, and for months, none would. Some questioned Darrisaw’s size. He was only 6-foot-2 at the time. Others cited his lack of a mean streak.

Ultimately, he attended Fork Union Military Academy, where he caught the attention of then-Virginia Tech offensive line coach Vance Vice. The Hokies offered Darrisaw an opportunity, and he arrived, matched up with Florida State’s Brian Burns as a freshman, and earned All-ACC honors. Years later, during the draft process, NFL coaches questioned Darrisaw’s finishing ability, whether he wanted to punish opposing linemen.

Spielman, conversely, saw those criticisms as ties to Darrisaw’s personality and not his actual play. Darrisaw has proved that in the last three years, ascending to become one of the best left tackles in the NFL. Groin injuries and concussions have, in spurts, sidelined Darrisaw. But those are byproducts of the sport and the position. The Vikings’ identity is their passing game. In that case, paying one of the best protectors in the sport was always a priority.

[VikingsVictorious]

Without the incentives it's a $26 Million a year deal.

[Maelstrom88]

Very happy they got this done. As long as he's healthy he's one of the best.