After lighting up his preseason (and NFL) debut with two touchdown passes and and multiple other highlight reel throws, the former Michigan QB will now be forced to wait until the 2025 season to take the field for the first time in the regular season. McCarthy complained of knee pain following the game last week, after which he underwent an MRI that revealed a torn meniscus that has officially cut short his rookie year just a handful of snaps into the beginning of it. It still lasted longer than Aaron Rodgers’ 2023 season, but the reigns to the Vikings offense are now exclusively in the hands of veteran journeyman Sam Darnold.
To this point, Darnold has reportedly been outplaying McCarthy in camp and was listed as the starter on the initial depth chart heading into last week. Whether or not fantasy managers buy that is an entirely different argument, but we’ll have to hang our hats on Sam Darnold’s performance this season when it comes to projecting the rest of the Vikings offense under his direction. While Justin Jefferson can likely be counted on to produce at a very high level regardless of who’s under center (his price in drafts, though, is sitting a bit high for our taste), other receiving options like Jordan Addison have a track record of struggling without a quality starter. In Kevin O’Connell’s QB-friendly, pass-first system, Darnold and the Vikings may deserve the benefit of the doubt – however, the floor remains concerningly low for an offense that’s likely looking just to make ends meet with their QB of the future sidelined until next season.