Vikings sign QB Matt Corral, officially place J.J. McCarthy on IR

Corral was a third-round pick by the Panthers two years ago.

Aug 25, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Corral (2) on the field in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Vikings have signed quarterback Matt Corral and officially placed J.J. McCarthy on injured reserve, the team announced on Friday.

Corral was a third-round pick (94th overall) by the Panthers out of Ole Miss two years ago. He hasn't played in an NFL regular season game. Corral spent his rookie year on injured reserve and was waived by Carolina in final cuts last year. He was claimed by the Patriots, but spent just a couple weeks with New England.

This spring, Corral played with the Birmingham Stallions in the United Football League. He threw for 494 yards and two touchdowns across three regular season games, adding 92 rushing yards. He also threw for 120 yards and two touchdowns in a playoff game.

For the Vikings, this is a chance to get a look at a former top-100 pick who could still have some upside at 25 years old. Corral joins a quarterback room that includes starter Sam Darnold (his former teammate in Carolina), backup Nick Mullens, and second-year player Jaren Hall.

The Vikings' newest QB will have about a week and a half to convince the Vikings he should be their No. 3 option over Hall. Corral presumably won't be ready to play on Saturday against the Browns, but he'll practice next week and potentially get some run in the preseason finale in Philadelphia on the 24th.

At Mississippi, the 6'1" Corral threw for nearly 6,700 yards with 49 touchdowns and 19 picks over his final two seasons. He was a dual threat who also ran for 1,100 yards and 15 scores during that span. Corral was named second team All-SEC in 2021.

McCarthy going on IR officially confirms that the promising rookie's season is over.

Related: Kevin O'Connell on J.J. McCarthy: 'We've got our franchise quarterback'