With J.J. McCarthy needing surgery, Sam Darnold is cemented as Vikings' Week 1 QB

If there was any doubt about Darnold opening the season as Minnesota's starter, that's now gone.

Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) passes against the Las Vegas Raiders in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Tuesday's news that J.J. McCarthy will undergo surgery on a meniscus tear in his right knee eliminates any possibility of the rookie being the Vikings' starting quarterback in Week 1. That means veteran Sam Darnold, who was already the clear favorite to break camp as Minnesota's starter, has been cemented in that role. He'll be under center when the Vikings take on the Giants in New Jersey on September 8.

There are two potential timelines for McCarthy's return. If he gets a trim, he'll be out for around 4-6 weeks. If he needs a full repair of the meniscus, that would put him out for around 4-6 months and probably end his season. Which of the two options is right for McCarthy will be determined at the time of the procedure.

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Even if it's the less severe of the two procedures, and even if you take the most optimistic possibility and say McCarthy is able to return in three weeks, there's essentially zero chance the Vikings would put him out there right away once he's back. He's going to miss valuable reps over the next few weeks, including joint practices with the Browns this week and the two remaining preseason games. There's also no reason to think the Vikings will be anything other than overly cautious with their prized rookie, both in terms of his health and his overall development.

So it'll be Darnold in Week 1. And even if McCarthy just needs a meniscus trim, the veteran figures to start until at least after Minnesota's Week 6 bye. If McCarthy is out for the year, it'll be Darnold and Nick Mullens as the Vikings' quarterback options all season.

The Vikings signed Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal in March to be their bridge quarterback. They obviously didn't anticipate the rookie QB they were going to draft getting hurt, but they wanted a capable veteran on the roster so they could let the rookie develop at their own pace. They view Darnold — who was the No. 3 overall pick out of USC in 2018 — as someone with a lot of natural talent and the upside to play the best football of his career in their system.

Darnold has been working as the Vikings' QB1 all training camp long and has shown a strong rapport with receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor. He was likely going to open the season as the starter even if McCarthy was healthy, and the Vikings are legitimately excited about his potential in their offense.

"I thought Sam played really well in his 12 plays of work the other day," Kevin O'Connell said of Darnold's performance in the preseason opener. "That was just a continued, pretty consistent performance from what we've seen on the practice field throughout training camp. Sam's had a really good camp and my confidence in Sam is very high at this point. Looking forward to seeing him continue his progression."

Sheesh what a layered throw by Darnold pic.twitter.com/7QN1pRcttP

— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) August 10, 2024