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Ralph Vacchiano
NFC East Reporter
All it took was one stellar preseason performance by rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy to give the Vikings hope — both for their future and for this season.
Less than a week later, all that hope is gone.
That’s how quickly fortunes can turn on unfortunate injuries in otherwise meaningless NFL preseason games — injuries such as the season-ending knee injury McCarthy suffered in his debut on Saturday night. One misstep can ruin a season before it even starts. One bad diagnosis can change the outlook for a team in an instant.
And the Vikings aren’t the only ones suffering right now. There are injury-fueled panics in places like Los Angeles (Justin Herbert), San Francisco (Christian McCaffrey) and Kansas City (Hollywood Brown), too.
Not all preseason injuries will derail a playoff run or ruin an entire year. But there are still some big ones that are causing a lot of worry. Here’s a look at eight who could deeply diminish expectations of their teams by the time they get to Week 1:
Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy: There weren’t high expectations for the Vikings, heading into a rebuilding season with a rookie quarterback. But there were high hopes for McCarthy, especially after he threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns in his debut against the Raiders. There were hopes that maybe he wouldn’t have to suffer through the usual rookie growing pains. Now, those pains will have to wait until 2025, delaying the Vikings’ return to contention even further. Even worse, their season is now in the hands of Sam Darnold, whose career has been a bust after the New York Jets took him with the third overall pick in 2018. Maybe Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell can revive the 27-year-old’s career. It probably would have been a lot easier to develop the career of the 21-year-old McCarthy, though.
J.J. McCarthy out for the season with torn meniscus in right knee
Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/j-j-mccarthy-other-nfl-injuries-could-impact-2024-season
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Publish date : 2024-08-14 20:45:23
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