Kevin O'Connell just lost some depth at the signal caller position. The Minnesota Vikings are going to have to traverse the season without JJ McCarthy due to an injury. While they still have Sam Darnold who can take over at the quarterback spot and send darts to Justin Jefferson, this injury is still a big concern for the squad's long-term prospects.
JJ McCarthy is out for the whole season. The Vikings rookie quarterback tore his meniscus. Kevin O'Connell and the rest of the staff decided that it was best for him to heal up. So, he will have to undergo a full repair of his meniscus. Understandably, a lot of Vikings fans were disappointed about the situation. While their faithful remains concerned, Ian Rapoport thinks that this was a perfect opportunity for Sam Darnold to shine, via Insiders on the NFL Network.
“Sometimes I feel like I'm too positive about the silver lining, right? This is a bad situation. It's a rookie quarterback who they think very highly of and is out for the season. Now, they have literally no choice but to take it slow with JJ McCarthy. It's also not a bad thing. It could be tough for a rookie quarterback… Obviously, you never want anyone to get injured,” the renowned insider said.
Vikings ecstatic to have Sam Darnold lead amid JJ McCarthy's injury
Even O'Connell is excited to have Darnold play the signal caller position while McCarthy learns the ropes from the sidelines.
“Our football team has been and will continue to be excited about Sam Darnold and what he’s been able to bring… I think he’s been able to — from an Xs and Os standpoint — lead, which we need our quarterback to do. I think it’s just his comfort in how we’ve built the atmosphere for all of our quarterbacks,” the head honcho said.
A lot of this assurance comes from the fact that the Vikings have done well in developing their passers. O'Connell affirmed this when they learned of McCarthy's injury and had to play Darnold.
“Whether it’s Sam or J.J. I think it’s allowed those guys to have a lot of runway, a lot of ability to just match their work ethic and their daily grind that puts them on a platform that their teammates see it. And, ultimately, just going out there and doing their jobs,” the Vikings schematic mastermind declared.
It's going to be a long season for McCarthy, Darnold, O'Connell, and the Vikings. Will they reclaim their former glory and make a deep postseason push?
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