Next Vikings QB Is Dealing with an Injury
Injuries have been the dominating element of Minnesota’s summer, starting with cornerback Mekhi Blackmon. The sophomore was viewed as a potential breakout player after a solid rookie season. A torn ACL in the first training camp practice knocked him out of the 2024 campaign.
Next Vikings QB Is Dealing with an Injury
Of course, quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the team’s most influential asset for the future, joined him on injured reserve a few weeks later after tearing his meniscus and requiring season-ending surgery. The medical staff opted to perform the meniscus repair rather than the trim, extending his timeline significantly but also limiting the risk of future knee problems.
His absence boosted the ranks of backup Nick Mullens and sophomore Jaren Hall by one spot. Mullens is suddenly the QB2 again, and Hall is the QB3 instead of the odd man out like earlier in training camp. Meanwhile, Sam Darnold doesn’t have to look over his shoulders and can lead the team with more confidence.
Hall struggled in preseason game number one, looked more comfortable in game two, and was phenomenal in game three. His emergence has been fun to watch in real-time.
However, he left Saturday’s preseason finale with an injury after taking a huge hit on a borderline cheap shot tackle. Kevin O’Connell described the injury as a “leg contusion” after the game.
He probably would have stayed in there, on that hit – the hit that seemed a little high up in the head and neck area. I have to go watch it, but it was actually just a little bit of a leg contusion. We just wanted to make sure – at that point, he had had a really good day. Let’s go ahead and put Matty [Matt Corral] in there and let him finish it. The thought was to try to get three quarters for Jaren, but we made the decision to take him out.
Kevin O’Connell
That surely sounds like the Vikings don’t expect it to be a longer problem. Nevertheless, it should be noted that downplaying injuries isn’t anything new, and O’Connell also said McCarthy could’ve continued playing a couple of weeks ago, so his initial post-game diagnosis should be taken with a grain of salt.
At this point, the severity of the injury is unknown.
Hall was a heavy underdog to make the 53-man roster a few weeks ago, but McCarthy’s injury changed the math. NFL teams want a third quarterback attached to the roster or the practice squad to, at the very least, have him dressed on gameday as the emergency quarterback.
Just a few days ago, it was feasible to swap Hall for someone else’s roster cut. Having a more promising QB3 can’t hurt. His play on Saturday should’ve ended those talks. While making a couple of mistakes earlier in the game, he turned the corner, tearing apart Philadelphia’s depth defense.
According to PFF, Hall completed 28 of 46 passes in the preseason, gaining 339 yards. He found the endzone four times without throwing an interception (his horrendous pick on Saturday was overturned because of a flag). His four big-time throws lead the league, and his grade of 84.1 ranks him fifth among QBs with at least 20 dropbacks.
There are various reasons why Hall’s emergence as a reliable backup would be beneficial for the Vikings. He is on a cheap rookie contract for three more seasons, and the Vikes wouldn’t need to spend money or draft capital on a different backup once Mullens’ contract expires next offseason.
In addition, he knows O’Connell’s offense, which would prevent the coaching staff from teaching a new quarterback all their principles.
Last year, Hall was asked to be the starting quarterback following Kirk Cousins’ injury. He lasted one quarter in Week 9 before suffering a concussion and was benched two quarters into his second opportunity in Week 17. The early returns weren’t promising, but the development is visible.
The Vikings are required to trim their roster on Tuesday, parting ways with all but 53 players. Hall should be considered likely to be part of that group of 53, and hopefully, his injury doesn’t affect the process.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus helped with this article.
4 Surprise Cut Candidates for Vikings
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt