J.J. McCarthy's Meniscus Injury Is Sam Darnold's Gain

On Saturday in his impressive NFL preseason debut, former Michigan signal-caller J.J. McCarthy completed 11-of-17 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns as the Minnesota Vikings eked out a 24-23 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Veteran quarterback Sam Darnold, who is on his fourth team in five years after signing with the Vikings during the offseason, started the win but played just a single series and went 4-for-8 for 59 yards with no scores or interceptions.

Though it was only one game and nothing had been decided by Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell, the drum was certainly beating for McCarthy, who was selected at No. 10 overall in April, to take over from Darnold as Minnesota's starting quarterback.

Thanks to a meniscus tear in McCarthy's knee that was discovered by an MRI after he reported soreness after the weekend, that drumbeat has ground to a halt and Darnold will be the starter in Minnesota for the foreseeable future.

Exactly how long that future will last will be determined when McCarthy goes under the knife later this week and doctors decide if the 21-year-old needs a trim of the meniscus (which may allow him to return this season) or a full repair (which could sideline him until 2025). For a Vikings team that lost former starting QB Kirk Cousins to a torn ACL last season, it's a nightmare.

Posting on social media, McCarthy took a positive tone, Speaking to the media about the matter, O'Connell was a little less rosy about what to expect. "That's totally, totally a medical decision," he said. "Certainly, what's best for the long-term health of J.J. McCarthy will be the priority. I don't have that answer and really won't be a part of determining that answer."

Whatever the doctors see in McCarthy's knee when they open it up, he's going to miss a substantial amount of time and Darnold is going to have to fill it. Whether the former New York Jet, who was Brock Purdy's backup in San Francisco last season, is up to the task is another matter entirely.

Just 21-35 overall as an NFL starter in his six-year career, Darnold has never lived up to his potential or proved worthy of being selected third overall by New York in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Still, with a quarterback whisperer like O'Connell as his coach and talented pass-catchers like wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and running back Aaron Jones as his offensive weapons, Darnold does have the chance to do some damage and erase the "bust" label that has followed him throughout his career. Maybe by the time he does, McCarthy will be back.