Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Out For Season, What Does It Mean For Jaren Hall?

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will miss the entirety of his rookie season after undergoing knee surgery on Wednesday. What does the injury mean for second-year BYU QB product Jaren Hall?

BREAKING: Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy is out for the 2024 season after undergoing a full meniscus repair this morning. (via @RapSheet, @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/GgpgfiNYRX

— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2024

Was J.J. McCarthy Next Up In Minnesota?

The Vikings selected the former Michigan Wolverine with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

McCarthy wasn’t going to be the day-one starter. That job always belonged to Sam Darnold, who Minnesota signed to a one-year deal in March.

The plan was originally to have McCarthy sit behind a veteran until the team decided he was ready to take over the reins.

However, that plan has now hit a major snag.

“GOT ‘EM! (x4)” – @JJettas2

The @vikings WR1 saw the @jjmccarthy09‘s 2nd TD right away 🔥

📺: #LVvsMIN on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/C7Ntlq01sj

— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2024

The news came at an inopportune time, to say the least. McCarthy had just made his preseason debut and looked great, posting a 116.8 quarterback rating with 11 completions and two touchdowns.

Even though he wasn’t going to start, the injury changes a lot for the Vikings and their quarterback battle.

Rookie Out, Who’s Next For The Minnesota Vikings?

Nothing changes for Darnold. He will still be the QB1 when the Vikings kick off the regular season against the New York Giants on Sunday, September 8.

In fact, Darnold will get to enjoy a bit more job security. Barring an injury or other unforeseen circumstances, the 27-year-old will likely start all 17 games in 2024.

It is more or less unknown who the Vikings like more between Hall and Nick Mullens.

When Kirk Cousins went down with his injury last season, Mullens and Hall both got some time under center with the veteran getting a bit more opportunity.

With rookie first-round pick J.J. McCarthy slated to undergo knee surgery, Sam Darnold now is squarely in line be the Vikings opening-day starting quarterback at the Giants. https://t.co/IjJIryFeCG pic.twitter.com/7GOgGAwhl4

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 13, 2024

Mullens played in five games and threw for 1,306 yards, seven touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Hall played in three games and never got a chance to throw more than 10 passes.

By drafting McCarthy back in April, the Vikings seemingly turned their youth focus to the rookie. Even with his injury, Hall likely sits at the bottom of the QB race.

However, Hall’s chances of getting on the field have greatly improved. It might only take an injury or an off-game from one of the top two guys for the former Cougar to get some burn.

About Jaren Hall

Before his time at BYU, Hall was a standout player at Maple Mountain High School in Spanish Fork, Utah.

After high school, the signal-caller served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California. Following his mission service, Hall returned to Utah and attended BYU.

He played for the Cougars from 2018-22, including two years as BYU’s starting quarterback.

Hey @Vikings fans, we have some @jarenhall3 film for you 🤙 pic.twitter.com/KnplbkXfCf

— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) April 29, 2023

In December 2022, the junior decided to bypass his senior season of college and declare for the 2023 NFL Draft.

RELATED: Vikings QB Jaren Hall Trying To ‘Soak It All In’ During First Week Of Training Camp

During his time in Provo, Hall threw for 6,174 yards, 52 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with a 65 percent completion rate. He also ran for 798 yards and nine touchdowns.

In April, Hall was selected by the Vikings with the No. 164 overall pick during the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

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Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com. Follow Chandler on Twitter @ChandlerHoltKSL or on Threads @chandlerho1t.

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