“Vikings fans are allergic to hope”- JJ McCarthy’s premature ending to rookie season has fans fearing the worst for Minnesota

Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback is out for the entire 2024 season without taking a snap after undergoing a knee surgery.

“Vikings fans are allergic to hope”- JJ McCarthy’s premature ending to rookie season has fans fearing the worst for Minnesota

Vikings JJ McCarthy rookie season ends after knee surgery (Image via IMAGO)

JJ McCarthy’s preseason debut renewed the Minnesota Vikings’ hope until the honeymoon period ended abruptly. The Vikings announced that the rookie quarterback was out for the rest of the season.

Shortly after their pre-season opener, McCarthy underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee. The medical team that did the surgery had two options in their hands. The first one would fix the young shot-caller’s injury temporarily and be back by January, and the second option would keep him out for almost 10–11 months. They chose the latter.

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It’s a massive blow for the Vikings, who drafted the 21-year-old 10th overall, aiming to make their long-term franchise quarterback.

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Social media reaction after hearing about JJ McCarthy’s injury

McCarthy’s standout performance against the Las Vegas Raiders in a pre-season friendly made the Vikings believe that they have found Kirk Cousins‘ replacement. He completed 11 from 17 for 188 passing yards and threw 2 touchdowns. Unfortunately, they need to wait for the Michigan alumni to play for them in the regular season.

"Vikings fans are allergic to hope"- JJ McCarthy's premature ending to rookie season has fans fearing the worst for Vikings
JJ McCarthy (Image via IMAGO)

The injury will keep JJ McCarthy out for the entire 2024 season, making him the first quarterback to miss his rookie year through injury since the NFL merger.

Who will replace JJ McCarthy as the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings?

Now that McCarthy is out of the picture for a while, the responsibility of being the Vikings’ starting quarterback falls onto the shoulders of Sam Darnold. The former third-overall pick signed a one-year $10 million deal with the Minnesota franchise as their backup, but he will more than likely be taking the most snaps.

Darnold’s career in the NFL began with the New York Jets, and after three seasons with poor performances and battling through injury, he was traded to the Carolina Panthers, where he spent 2 years. Last season, he was the second choice behind Brock Purdy for the San Francisco 49ers.

I think his [Sam Darnold] best football is ahead of him because of how he’s handled the last couple of years. Whether it’s going 4-2 down the stretch in Carolina in ’22, or when you turn on the tape of his work in San Francisco, you can tell Kyle [Shanahan], Brian Griese, they did a great job in the next phase of his career. Fundamentals, techniques, and things that you look for to see growth. I’m excited to get going with Sam.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said when the 27-year-old signed with the Vikings

Apart from Darnold, the Vikings also have veteran Nick Mullens and 2023 fifth-round pick Jaren Hall in the quarterback depth chart. Hall played a few snaps in the Raiders game, completing 7 passes from 16 for 63 yards. Their next game is against the Cleveland Browns this weekend.

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