Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) passes against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.
It was supposed to be the highlight and punctuation mark of Minnesota Vikings training camp — a Night Practice in front of fans featuring the great hope for the future, quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
But mere minutes before the event kicked off on Monday, the team announced McCarthy would sit out as a precaution after experiencing knee soreness as a result of a couple of hits from Saturday’s preseason win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Night Practice instead featured the “other” Vikings quarterbacks, including Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall. The problem? After McCarthy’s scintillating preseason performance, folks came to see McCarthy.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell was unfazed by McCarthy’s injury, a let’s-play-it-safe tone from the skipper. “He could’ve continued playing Saturday. He had a really positive performance,” O’Connell told reporters. “We’re trying to figure out when it happened, but he just came in with some routine soreness that a lot of guys after their first preseason game sometimes come in with. It was something we wanted to be smart about.”
O’Connell was also asked if he believed the injury was anything serious, and he replied, “I really don’t.”
So, crisis averted, right? Yep — but not according to Vikings fans, a group burned by snakebitten tendencies, missed field goals, injuries, and generalized bad luck for six decades. Fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, quickly exalted the worst. Cameron Childs tweeted, “We really just can’t have nice things. You really can’t make it up.”
Joe Phillips asked, “Why does god hate us?”
@MJS3238 commented, “No NFL fanbase has it worse than us.” Not to be outdone by @dalvincookin, who tweeted, “It’s over before it started.”
One guy said he wanted to die. “Oh my god, I wanna die,” Dylan Bloom declared.
McCarthy played marvelously last weekend following an early interception. After settling in during the 2nd Half, the young Wolverine dimed two touchdown passes, leading Minnesota back for a win, its first preseason triumph in five years. He also banked a cool 188 passing yards.
The Vikings didn’t sound spooked one iota about McCarthy’s knee soreness, with the next step determining if he’ll travel with the team to Cleveland this week for joint practices with the Browns. McCarthy has been considered a longshot to start Week 1 for the Vikings, and this knee hiccup all but seals the deal for the aforementioned Darnold to take the first offensive snaps in 26 days at the New York Giants.
Overall, fans will await a McCarthy update, but based on past atrocities, they’re bracing for the worst, even if the prognosis isn’t that grim.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.