EAGAN, Minn. — For the third consecutive year, the Vikings are making a trade in Week 9 to address an injury from Week 8.
This time, Minnesota (5-2) has reached an agreement to acquire left tackle Cam Robinson and a conditional seventh-round pick in 2026 from the Jacksonville Jaguars, giving up a conditional fifth-round pick in 2026 in return. The deal is contingent on Robinson passing a physical.
Robinson has played in all 91 regular-season games since being drafted in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Jaguars, starting every game since Week 1 of his rookie year.
The former Alabama standout made an immediate impact by helping Jacksonville lead the NFL in rushing for the first time in the franchise’s history. That season, the Jaguars also allowed only 24 sacks, the fewest in a single season for the team, which contributed to their run to the AFC Championship Game.
This season, Robinson has started all seven games, logging 367 offensive snaps and 22 on special teams. He has been penalized just once (a false start).
According to analytics site Pro Football Focus, Robinson ranks 31st among tackles with a 69.4 offensive grade this season (minimum 200 snaps), while Darrisaw is ranked 10th with an 81.4. In terms of pass blocking, Robinson is 35th with a 72.2 grade (minimum 100 pass-blocking snaps), compared to Darrisaw, who is 16th at 79.9.
According to Pro Football Focus, Robinson has given up four sacks, three quarterback hits, and eight hurries over his 239 pass-blocking snaps in 2024.
The trade for Robinson, who turned 29 earlier this month, comes in response to Christian Darrisaw’s ACL and MCL injuries sustained on October 24 during Minnesota’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams. A slight silver lining to Darrisaw’s injury is that it happened before the trade deadline on November 5.
Last season, Minnesota acquired quarterback Joshua Dobbs in Week 9 after Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 8 against Green Bay. In 2022, they traded for tight end T.J. Hockenson from Detroit in Week 9 after Irv Smith Jr. was placed on Injured Reserve.
In both of the past two seasons, the newly acquired player made significant contributions to Week 9 victories for Minnesota. Hockenson had nine receptions for 70 yards in his debut against Washington, while Dobbs came off the bench last season (after Jaren Hall suffered a concussion at Atlanta) and led the game-winning drive against the Falcons.
Robinson stands 6-foot-6 with 35 1/2-inch arms, which are generally considered ideal dimensions for a left tackle.
The timing of Robinson’s trade comes just before the Vikings face a three-game stretch against AFC South teams, starting with Indianapolis (4-4) on Sunday Night Football, followed by road games against Jacksonville (2-6) and Tennessee (1-6).
Last week, the Vikings replaced Darrisaw with veteran David Quessenberry, who has been filling in at both left and right tackle since 2023.
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