Time Is the Greatest Loss for J.J. McCarthy
Listen, no one should be able to convince you that J.J. McCarthy has looked good during his first two NFL starts. The Minnesota Vikings’ young quarterback, short of one quarter, has been anything but that. However, the greater problem with his latest injury is another bump in the road of his development.
J.J. McCarthy is going to miss more time for the Minnesota Vikings, and that’s the biggest problem among all of these injuries.
After just a single preseason game last season, McCarthy’s season came to an end. He needed knee surgery, and the road to recovery was well documented. This time around, he played just eight quarters, split the contests, and now has a high ankle sprain.
Missing Games Is J.J. McCarthy’s Biggest Problem Right Now
The reality is that McCarthy has needed to be under center. Minnesota used an early first-round pick on the Michigan product while working under the belief that he would be their quarterback of the future. Unfortunately, they are no closer to having that level of understanding than they were when drafting him.
Sure, he has worked in the building and has shown some things behind the scenes. On the field, though, the production has largely been poor, and the sample size isn’t even close to enough for a determination to be made. Now, rather than leading a roster set up to win now, he’ll be sidelined for a matter of weeks.
Kevin O’Connell said the Vikings don’t anticipate McCarthy needing a trip to short-term injured reserve, but that may not be the best plan of action. A reported timetable of 2-4 weeks puts him on track for a return while the team is overseas. If they wait through that period, there is the added benefit of a Week 6 bye.
No matter how much Minnesota allows McCarthy to get healthy, the bigger problem is that the time he continues to miss is compounded. He is guaranteed to have 18 weeks of his first 20 on the bench, and that could increase as time goes on. No amount of experience or exposure he gets from the sidelines will replicate game action.
Ultimately, the Vikings need to find out if McCarthy is capable of being their future. There is reason to believe he can be, but wasting the first two years of a rookie contract while dealing with injuries is arguably the worst-case scenario for all involved.
Here’s to hoping McCarthy heals quickly and then can substantiate his presence in this league. The Vikings would definitely love that stroke of good luck for once.
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