The Minnesota Vikings have made a move at quarterback after placing rookie JJ McCarthy on injured reserve.
Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Vikings have signed former Carolina Panthers third-round pick and quarterback Matt Corral. The move comes after the Vikings announced that JJ McCarthy will miss his entire rookie year following surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
With McCarthy out for the season, free agent signing Sam Darnold is a virtual lock to open 2024 as their starting QB. Minnesota’s other quarterbacks on the roster are Nick Mullens and sophomore Jaren Hall (a 2023 fifth-round pick), so the battle for the QB3 job has just intensified with Corral on the way.
Carolina drafted Matt Corral 94th overall in 2022, a class that was notable for its lack of top-tier quarterback prospects. A Lisfranc injury in Corral’s left foot forced him to miss his entire rookie year, and the Panthers waived him before the start of the 2023 season.
🚨 MATT CORRAL IS A VIKING 🚨 pic.twitter.com/rD1Qctid2P
— B2B2B CHAMPION STALLIONS 🏆🏆🏆 (@USFLStallions) August 16, 2024
The New England Patriots later picked up Corral, but he never played a game and was let go in September. Corral signed with the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL, appearing in for games.
Minnesota will open their 2024 season with a road contest against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 8.
JJ McCarthy’s Highly-Anticipated Minnesota Vikings Debut Is On Hold
Minnesota let Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins walk in free agency and signed Darnold as a bridge option. They traded up one spot via the New York Jets to select JJ McCarthy with the No. 10 pick, hoping the Michigan product would emerge as their long-term answer at quarterback
But the national champion-winning QB will have to wait another long year to make his highly-anticipated NFL debut. It’s an extremely unfortunate break for McCarthy and Vikings fans, who’ve had to endure a terrible amount of injuries to key players over the past year.
