Sep 10, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings fan reacts during the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings lost rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy to a torn meniscus last week, and to provide some summer depth, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed Matt Corral soon after.
But the free-agent move did not move the needle for the team’s fanbase.
We polled Vikings fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, and the group sent an unimpressive message regarding the Corral addition. About 78% considered the acquisition uninspiring or flatly bad.
The poll was unscientific, and 596 people responded.
Corral briefly experienced preseason action last weekend in a win over the Cleveland Browns, just one day after joining the team, and the result was disastrous. Minnesota’s coaching staff dialed up a single pass attempt for the newcomer, resulting in a moronic safety.
The Carolina Panthers plucked Corral from the 3rd Round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and he never really took off. Many draft pundits featured the new Viking somewhat high on their draftboards, but when the rubber hit the road that April, he dipped to Round 3.
Here’s his pro resume to date:
The Corral addition showed quarterback coach Josh McCown’s presence in the Vikings’ locker room. McCown began his coaching career one year ago with the Panthers, and Corral lived on the summer roster until depth chart trimdowns last August. Corral didn’t make the 53-man roster, instead becoming a Patriot — briefly. However, McCown must’ve seen something positive from Corral, evidenced by last week’s free-agent move.
Corral is 6’1″ and turned 25 in January. His UFL team won the championship in June, though a different quarterback, Adrian Martinez, played quarterback in that league’s version of the Super Bowl.
With Corral on the roster, these are the Vikings quarterback options in 2024, excluding McCarthy, who is on injured reserve:
The poll result was a bit surprising because Corral was coveted by many entering the 2022 NFL Draft. Of course, his career has not caught on in the NFL, and in fact, he’s never taken a single snap in an NFL game.
On the whole, Corral is unlikely to make the Vikings’ 53-man roster during cutdowns next week, but he could be a target for the practice squad. He’ll likely get considerable action in the team’s final preseason game of the summer at Philadelphia on Saturday.
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.