News of Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy’s injury went from bad to worse on Wednesday.
The team announced that McCarthy, who was selected 10th overall in this year’s NFL draft after winning a national championship at Michigan, is out for the season after undergoing meniscus surgery.
It had been previously announced that he would undergo surgery, but there was no indication that the severity of the injury would end the season.
Sam Darnold is now fully establishing himself as the Vikings’ starting quarterback.
He spent last season replacing Brock Purdy in San Francisco after spending two years in Carolina and his first three NFL seasons with the Jets.
Darnold’s teams are collectively 21-35 in games he’s started, but there has been some optimism for him heading into this season since he’s now coached by highly regarded offensive mind Kevin O’Connell.
O’Connell is entering his third season as the Vikings’ coach after serving as offensive coordinator under Sean McVay with the Rams for a two-year stint that included the 2021-22 Super Bowl championship.
Quarterbacks Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall, who started a combined five games for the Vikings last season, remain on the team’s roster.
The Vikings have a winning total of over-under 7.5 with the over at +134 and the under at -168, according to the latest odds on FanDuel.
