Vikings Hit with Baddest Take to End All Bad Takes
Nope — they’ll probably move on from J.J. McCarthy.
Vikings Hit with Baddest Take to End All Bad Takes
That’s the word or heavy insinuation from Pioneer Press Charley Walters, who claimed the Minnesota Vikings will probably shop for a new quarterback in 2025.
Minnesota lost McCarthy three weeks ago to a torn meniscus — a disappointing injury but one relatively low on the seriousness scale for an athlete’s long-term prognosis. And per Walters, Minnesota could find a different quarterback in the draft next year if the 2024 season bends perilously.
“Should the Vikings suffer a disheartening season, which appears likely, and end up with a top-5 pick in next spring’s draft, it wouldn’t be a shock if they were to choose another QB of the future,” Walters wrote last weekend.
A mind-boggling take, the inference suggests Vikings leadership would throw in the towel on McCarthy because of a torn meniscus. It is unclear if McCarthy would be groomed as a QB2 henceforth, be traded, get cut, or none of the above. It’s such a wild theory that even the “then what‘s” don’t make sense.
In fact, head coach Kevin O’Connell said the very opposite of Walters’ take soon after McCarthy’s injury. “As our fans either have already come to find out or will in the future, this guy is so motivated and so dialed in,” O’Connell mentioned about three weeks ago. “As excited as I was to draft him, he’s confirmed everything that I hoped to see, not only early on through training camp, first performance last Saturday, but he should — our fanbase and everyone should just be excited about the fact that we’ve got our young franchise quarterback, I believe, in the building.”
“And now, it’s just about the unique aspect of continuing a very critical development process for him where maybe the physical reps aren’t going to be there in the short-term. But this is going to be a small bump in the road. Other quarterbacks in our league have gone through similar things early on in their journey and come back stronger and better than ever. And that is not only my expectation — I know that is going to happen for J.J.”
On top of the bizarre nature involving the Vikings’ would-be plan of mailing it in on McCarthy, the 2025 draft class is not like 2024’s at quarterback. Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) and Carson Beck (Georgia) headline the crop — and then that’s close to it. Had McCarthy stayed at Michigan in 2024, he’d likely top the field.
Let it be known — McCarthy’s meniscus tear is not a springboard for the Vikings to move on. The team’s first draft pick will likely be used on a defensive tackle, cornerback, or trade-down for more assets.
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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.
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