Vikings sign Christian Darrisaw to four-year contract extension worth up to $113 million

The four-year, $140 million deal the Vikings gave Justin Jefferson earlier this summer ensured J.J. McCarthy would develop in Minnesota with his top receiving option. On Tuesday, the Vikings made sure McCarthy would have his left tackle for the rest of the decade, too.

The team announced it agreed to a four-year contract extension with Christian Darrisaw, who now is signed through the 2029 season on a deal that a source said could be worth up to $113 million in new money. The Lions’ Penei Sewell is now the highest-paid left tackle in the NFL after having signed a four-year, $112 million deal in April; the maximum value of the new money in Darrisaw’s deal would help him eclipse that figure.

A contract extension for Darrisaw figured to be the next big item on the Vikings’ to-do list after they finished Jefferson’s deal before their mandatory minicamp last month. But since the left tackle still had two seasons left on his rookie contract (his fourth year and a fifth-year option were set to pay him more than $16 million), it seemed possible both sides would wait until after the 2024 season to negotiate an extension. Instead, the Vikings worked with Darrisaw’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, on a new deal that includes $77 million in guaranteed money, according to a source with knowledge of the contract.

Darrisaw, the 23rd pick in the 2021 NFL draft, has established himself as one of the league’s most promising young tackles, though he’s dealt with injuries that have kept him from playing all 17 games in a season and has yet to make a Pro Bowl team. He started a career-high 15 games last season, allowing six sacks and 31 pressures in 650 pass-blocking snaps. He’s earned comparisons to All-Pro Trent Williams because of his size and mobility on the left side, and the Vikings seemed interested in ensuring he’d play opposite right tackle Brian O’Neill for the start of McCarthy’s time in Minnesota.

The Vikings, who opened training camp with more than $20 million in salary cap space, could use some of the room to absorb the first installment of Darrisaw’s signing bonus this year.

The Vikings re-signed cornerback Duke Shelley, whose feisty coverage tactics endeared him to fans during the second half of the Vikings’ 13-4 season two years ago. Shelley played in 11 games that season, starting five games after his overtime pass breakup against Dawson Knox helped the Vikings hang on for a dramatic 33-30 overtime win in Buffalo. Two games later, the 5-foot-9 corner broke up a would-be touchdown pass for 6-foot-1 Patriots receiver Kendrick Bourne in the Vikings’ Thanksgiving night win over New England. For the season, he finished with an interception and eight pass defenses to go with 31 tackles.

Shelley was in training camp with the Raiders last season and spent the 2023 season with the Rams after he was cut at the end of camp. In Los Angeles, he played 190 snaps on special teams and 76 on defense. He comes back to a Vikings team that again entered training camp with questions at cornerback, as third-year man Akayleb Evans and second-year corner Mekhi Blackmon try to win significant roles. The Vikings had hoped rookie Khyree Jackson would be a factor on defense, as well, before the fourth-round pick was killed in a July 6 car crash along with two of his high school teammates.

The 27-year-old Shelley spent his first three NFL seasons in Chicago, before signing with the Vikings in 2022.

Single-game tickets for Vikings preseason and regular-season home games during the 2024 season will go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster. Season-ticket holders have early access to those tickets in a presale opportunity. A limited number of tickets are expected to be available to the general public.