The Minnesota Vikings’ high hopes for rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy were dealt a major blow just prior to the regular season when he suffered a knee injury during training camp.
McCarthy underwent surgery which effectively ended his debut year.
Drafted 10th overall from Michigan, McCarthy showed promising potential in camp and preseason, but just days after an impressive debut, he suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Initially, the injury sent Minnesota in panic mode. However, Sam Darnold has quickly emerged as one of the best stories in the entire league.
Remarkably, Darnold is an MVP contender and has the 7-2 Vikings marching straight towards the playoffs where they promise to be a very tough-out.
Meanwhile, McCarthy’s recovery has suffered a notable setback.
The Vikings announced that McCarthy has undergone a second surgical procedure on his right knee. This latest surgery was required after increased rehabilitation activity caused swelling, prompting further medical intervention and a biologic injection.
Despite the setback, McCarthy’s recovery timeline remains on-track, with no additional delays expected.
“As his rehab has picked up, we noticed a little swelling in there… Just wanted to make sure there was no cause for concern and all reports were very positive. He’s on the original timeline in good shape,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said.
Initially competing with Darnold for the starting role, McCarthy’s strong showing had sparked speculation that he might open the season as the Vikings’ top quarterback.
Yet, just one day after his debut, he experienced knee soreness that ultimately revealed the extent of his injury.
While McCarthy’s timeline to return remains on-track, the stellar play of Darnold means that the Vikings have an extremely important decision to make.
At just 27-years-old, Darnold is finally starting to live up to the massive hype that surrounded him when he was drafted No. 3 overall back in 2018. (You can blame the Jets for temporarily ruining him.)
Part of Minnesota’s reasoning for giving star wide receiver Justin Jefferson a historic four-year, $140 million contract extension ($110 million guaranteed) was that they knew they would draft a young quarterback and have him set on an affordable rookie deal.
Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings following Kirk Cousins’ departure.
In other words, if Darnold keeps this level of play up, he will set himself up for a massive payday when he becomes a free agent following the season.
While Minnesota’s preference will most likely be to go with McCarthy next season, that decision will get a whole lot tougher if Darnold leads the Vikings to significant success in the playoffs.
Let’s say Darnold leads the Vikings to a Super Bowl title … How do you let him walk in free agency at that point?
What are your thoughts on McCarthy undergoing yet another procedure? … Are you concerned at all for his future?
Of course, we need to see how the rest of the season plays out, but should the Vikings consider locking Darnold up to an extension and trading off McCarthy for valuable assets???