JJ McCarthy Injury Shakes Up Vikings QB Depth Chart & Sam Darnold Odds

Adam Schefter reported that Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy will undergo knee surgery for a torn meniscus, impacting his availability this season. Sam Darnold now appears set to start Week 1 and potentially much deeper into the season than that, depending on the severity of the injury. Let’s take a look at how the McCarthy injury impacts the Vikings QB depth chart, Vikings odds, and Sam Darnold player props.

Aug. 14 editor’s note: McCarthy will miss the entire season due to the meniscus surgery.

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Sam Darnold Odds After Abrupt End To Vikings QB Depth Chart Competition

It’s important to note that in the short term, nothing major was likely affected on the Vikings QB depth chart. Most pundits expected Darnold to enter the season as the starter anyway. The widely held belief was that the Vikings would work to prepare McCarthy to take over at some point during the season, a la Tua Tagovailoa and Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2020.

Bettors shouldn’t make much, if any, adjustment to their power numbers for NFL Week 1 odds.

Darnold has a pretty checkered history as an NFL starter. After failing resoundingly to meet expectations as a top draft pick in New York, he enjoyed a pretty solid 2022 in Carolina. In a six-game stint as a starter, Darnold compiled a 4-2 record with a very solid 8.2 YPA and a 7-3 TD-INT ratio.

Overall, the results for Darnold have been poor. However, there have been recent examples of highly drafted QBs figuring it out later in their careers. Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield come to mind as players who had more success after moving around and becoming largely dismissed.

Darnold will have two high-level receivers in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison plus the support of a strong pass-blocking offensive line. Head Coach Kevin O’Connell has a strong reputation as a QB guru as well.

Vikings Futures Affected By McCarthy Injury?

As far as team futures go, the left tail on Vikings futures may have become much more real. In more plain terms, the downside risk has likely become much greater following McCarthy’s injury.

Note that the Vikings QB depth chart now lists Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall as the next men up. If Darnold plays poorly or gets hurt himself, one of those two would likely be pressed into service.

Hall started a game last year and looked utterly overwhelmed by the NFL game. He’s presumably a bit less green now, but as a former fifth-round pick, he was unlikely to have a significant NFL career. That remains the case.

Mullens is likely the favorite to win the backup job. He had a fairly disastrous run in three games as the starter in 2023 (0-3 record, 7-8 TD-INT ratio). He hasn’t really been able to make anything positive happen since he left the tender care of Kyle Shanahan’s coaching.

Bettors may want to dig into alternate under on Vikings numbers in NFL win totals.

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