Everything was hopeful for the Minnesota Vikings. JJ McCarthy, the reigning national champion and 10th overall pick, had a strong performance in his preseason debut. Kirk Cousins was gone, but it appears the organization didn’t need long to find his successor. Then news surfaced after the game that McCarthy complained to doctors of some knee soreness, resulting in him missing practice. Further exams revealed the rookie had a meniscus injury and would require surgery. It wasn’t known how extensive it would be. A trim repair could get him back in a month. That was the hope.
Sadly, Minnesota’s worst fears came true. Surgeons determined that a full repair was necessary on the knee. This means McCarthy is out 6-9 months, effectively the entire 2024 season.
No JJ McCarthy means it’s Sam Darnold time in Minnesota.
The Vikings seem confident the former 1st round pick can be a quality starter for them. His career to this point would say otherwise. He holds a 60.3 completion percentage and a 78.6 passer rating, not including his rookie year. Minnesota is likely hoping that its strong cast of weapons will be able to do most of the heavy lifting. Darnold will throw to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson. Then again, that group didn’t exactly elevate Josh Dobbs or Nick Mullens last year. Is Darnold that much better than either of them? The Vikings are about to find out. JJ McCarthy time will have to wait. One can only feel bad for the young man. The good news is he’s only 21 years old. If the knee heals properly, it shouldn’t impact his career much.
