Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) and head coach Kevin O'Connell react before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
A little over a week ago, first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy made his NFL preseason debut.
He sure impressed and got the Minnesota Vikings fanbase very excited. The rookie went 11/17 for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
Sure, it was mostly against backup players, but it was still a very good start to a career for any rookie quarterback. The way he rebounded after the interception was also a big positive.
Two days later, he missed practice due to “knee soreness,” which already caused some concern. The news was even worse when it was announced that he would need season-ending meniscus surgery.
Would McCarthy have started a game this year if Sam Darnold had stayed healthy? Maybe not, but he would have greatly benefitted from playing in the final two preseason games and continuing to practice. He could have appeared in blowouts, too.
The good news is that this problem was taken care of right away rather than later. He can still observe from the sidelines and watch film. That part cannot be denied to him.
He is also only 21 years old, so he still has a long career ahead of him (of course, he needs to stay healthy for the most part going forward, though). He still did get to participate in rookie camps, mini camps, and training camps, as well as play in the first preseason game. That is certainly better than nothing.
Had he needed the surgery much earlier, he would have missed most, if not all, of those practices and the preseason. The team very likely would not have played him a single snap as a precaution, even if he was medically cleared to play.
McCarthy can still become this franchise’s starter for many years. We will never know how much this meniscus injury could affect him down the road or how much better he could have been if not for the injury, but he still has a chance to be good—perhaps very good.
One thing is for certain. Whenever he becomes the starter, he will benefit greatly from having a former quarterback in Kevin O’Connell as his head coach, as well as Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson to throw to. Having Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neil as his tackles will also be very beneficial for the former national champion Michigan Wolverine. Aaron Jones could be re-signed next season.
Of course, the better he plays, the more it will benefit Minnesota. However, given the young talent on this roster and the salary cap space going forward (over $54 million next year via Over the Cap), he would not need to necessarily be elite for them to compete for Super Bowls. Quarterback is certainly the most important position in football, but not the only important one.
Their other first-round pick was Dallas Turner. If he pans out, it will give them yet another good young player.
It’s very understandable, though, why many fans are very bummed about the injury. This franchise has had plenty of bad luck in its history, especially since 2016 with the quarterback position.
Third-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a major knee injury during practice right before the start of the 2016 season. The very next year, Sam Bradford had a great game in the season opener but played in only one game the rest of the season due to a knee injury.
Last season, Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles after the eighth game of the season while the team was starting to turn things around. Cousins was not only playing at a high level, but Minnesota also won its third consecutive game.
If either Bridgewater or Bradford did not suffer those injuries, Minnesota could very possibly advance to the Super Bowl in 2017 and perhaps win it in its own stadium.
It was very heartbreaking indeed for the fans and organization. Maybe from here on in, though, things will get much better for both McCarthy and the organization as a whole. Maybe he will become the quarterback for many years to come and perhaps lead them to a Super Bowl win or two.
Still, there are reasons to be excited about the rookie’s and the organization’s future.