New info makes J.J. McCarthy injury even more heartbreaking for Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings were dealt a nasty blow this summer when it was announced that rookie first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy would miss the entire 2024 season. The Vikings moved up one spot in the 2024 NFL Draft to draft the Michigan quarterback, and while it wasn't a guarantee that he'd win the QB1 job over Sam Darnold, it was still disappointing that he wasn't going to be available at all this year.

To make matters worse, The Athletic's Jeff Howe recently shared that "rival coaches and executives debated whether the Michigan product would've had the best season among the six first-round rookie QBs."

Well, this is a hefty punch to the gut, isn't it? We obviously don't know what McCarthy was capable of but to hear that he could have put together the best season of the six first-round quarterbacks is still a tough pill to swallow.

J.J. McCarthy injury continues to sting Minnesota Vikings fans

McCarthy was the fifth of six quarterbacks taken in the first round of this year's draft. With Caleb Williams (Bears), Jaylen Daniels (Commanders), Drake Maye (Patriots), and Michael Penix Jr. (Falcons) off the board, the Vikings could have either gone with McCarthy, Bo Nix (who eventually landed with the Broncos) or a different position. They went with the Michigan quarterback, fresh off a National Championship season.

Unfortunately, Vikings fans didn't get to see McCarthy much this preseason, as the injury that sidelined him for the year took place during the preseason opener.

McCarthy suffered a tear in his right meniscus during the opener, and days later, it was announced that he'd undergone surgery to repair his right meniscus and would miss the entire 2024 season.

The good news is that if rival coaches think McCarthy could have been the best of the rookie bunch this year and, hopefully, that means the Vikings hopefully drafted the right guy.

Minnesota hasn't had much luck when it comes to drafting quarterbacks, so let's hope that even though the J.J. McCarthy era isn't off to the best start, it eventually sorts itself out.

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