What happened to J.J. McCarthy? Vikings rookie to miss entire season

J.J. McCarthy made his debut for the Minnesota Vikings this past week in the preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The rookie quarterback played well, but unfortunately, it was revealed that he suffered a knee injury.

As per reports, McCarthy had surgery to repair his torn meniscus and will be out for the remainder of the season. This is a huge blow for the Vikings, who drafted the quarterback with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

J.J. McCarthy was drafted to be the long-term replacement for Kirk Cousins, but like last year, the NFC North franchise's quarterback has suffered a season-ending injury.

As per reports, the surgery was deemed necessary, but the franchise is hopeful that the rookie quarterback will get better with this experience and have a long, successful career' with the team.

The Vikings finished 7-10 last season. It will be tough for the franchise to improve on that record now that Cousins is no longer the quarterback and the quarterback that they drafted to replace him is sidelined for the season.

---

J.J. McCarthy Injury: A look at Vikings QB depth chart

J.J. McCarthy during Las Vegas Raiders v Minnesota Vikings - Source: Getty

Although the Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy in the first round of this year's draft, it was expected that Sam Darnold would be the team's starting quarterback in Week 1. Now that McCarthy is injured, Darnold is all but confirmed to lead the team to start the season against the New York Giants.

Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Vikings this offseason and now has an opportunity to get his career back on track. Kevin O'Connell is a great coach and will find ways to put the quarterback in a position to be successful.

Moreover, Darnold will be massively helped by the likes of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. It is a great opportunity for him to prove that he can still be a starting quarterback in the league. However, if he fails to play well, this could be the last time he gets to be a starter in the league.

With McCarthy's injury, the Vikings quarterback depth chart looks like this:

1. Sam Darnold
2. Nick Mullen
3. Jaren Hall

Darnold was with the San Francisco 49ers last season, and Vikings fans will hope that Kyle Shanahan has made him a better quarterback.

---