4 J.J. McCarthy replacements who have never played for the Vikings before

When it rains, it pours -- and that phrase might not be felt more acutely than it is within the Minnesota Vikings organization right now. It's been a tumultuous offseason that only got worse this week when, on the heels of his preseason NFL debut, rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy was diagnosed with a torn meniscus that will cause him to miss the entire 2024 season.

Now, to be sure, the Vikings quarterback plan is only slightly altered. All expectations have been for some time that veteran Sam Darnold will begin the season as the starter, which remains the same. The only wrinkle that this injury throws into the mix is that there is now no chance of McCarthy, who Minnesota traded up to the No. 10 overall pick to draft, taking over the starting job at any point this year.

As such, it also changes the backup quarterback landscape for the Vikings as well. Nick Mullens now slots in as the backup with Jaren Hall behind him. Having said that, we're still early enough in training camp and the preseason that Minnesota could still make a move to improve the quarterback room and get a potentially better backup behind Darnold. Specifically, these four unfamiliar faces could help the Vikings plight greatly if they can make the moves.

4. Blaine Gabbert could bring Chiefs experience to Vikings QB room

Given that Blaine Gabbert, a former No. 10 overall pick in his own right, has already played with roughly one-fifth of the NFL already, it could be time for him to add the Vikings to his resumé.

If O'Connell and the Minnesota coaching staff don't completely trust Nick Mullens as a backup to Darnold with McCarthy out of the fold, the 34-year-old Gabbert could come at a cheap price but while inspiring a bit more confidence. After backing up Patrick Mahomes with the Chiefs last year -- and notching a win in his lone start of the year -- Gabbert has been decidedly average in his career but has actually been decidedly more reliable as a backup.

Since 2018 when he started working primarily as a backup, Gabbert has completed 59.1% of his passes for 1,050 yards (171 attempts) with seven touchdowns and seven picks. It's not stellar but, in the event of Darnold missing time, the Vikings could potentially make that work, especially in O'Connell's offense.

All told, Gabbert would be among the cheapest additions Minnesota could make in the wake of the McCarthy injury. And hey, a little bit of the insider info on the Kansas City offense couldn't hurt either in the Twin Cities.

3. Trey Lance is a trade candidate with huge upside for Vikings

In all honesty, trading with the Dallas Cowboys (again) this offseason for Trey Lance might not actually make the most sense for Minnesota. After all, you'd figure that any team taking on Lance in a deal would be hopeful that he might develop into the quarterback for the future. That's McCarthy for the Vikings, so bringing in Lance as the backup could complicate things.

However, we've seen organizations like the 49ers and Eagles consistently give themselves bites at the apple to find the quarterback equation. This could present the Vikings with a similar opportunity, especially considering that Lance would likely only cost one or two Day 3 picks to get to Minnesota (though the franchise is a bit short on draft capital overall, admittedly).

Lance is still raw, which was his M.O. as a prospect coming out of North Dakota State. Yet, he was the No. 3 pick for a reason. His dual-threat ability and tools remain enticing and he's even started flashing a bit early in this year's preseason with Dallas, going 25-of-41 for 188 yards and rushing for 44 yards in the opener last week.

The Vikings could absolutely take at least a look at someone like Lance, even if his fit into the team's long-term plans isn't seamless.

2. Ryan Tannehill might be the perfect Vikings stopgap backup

Let's be clear about this: What we saw from Ryan Tannehill in the 2023 season while with the Tennessee Titans was not pretty. In eight starts and 10 total games, the now-36-year-old veteran did complete 64.8% of his passes for 1,616 yards but he did so with just four touchdowns and seven interceptions. His 35.1 QBR was the second-worst of his career while his 12.2% sack rate was the worst of his career.

At least a sizable portion of the blame, however, has to fall on the Titans, a group that had one of the league's worst offensive lines, an exceptionally shallow group of weapons, and what amounted to a lame-duck coaching staff.

Tannehill may indeed have taken a step back as well. That's absolutely on the table. At the same time, he's been a steady presence in his career, especially after leaving the Dolphins and joining the Titans in 2019. More importantly, though, the Vikings aren't asking him to lead the team to a Super Bowl. Coming in as an experienced veteran a la Joe Flacco with the Browns last season who could spell Sam Darnold if need be would make a lot of sense while also not putting any pressure on the future with McCarthy.

1. Taylor Heinicke should be the Vikings top option if they make a move

Even more so than Trey Lance, it seems as if Taylor Heinicke takes the title of "backup quarterback most likely to be traded before Week 1". We know that the Atlanta Falcons both signed Kirk Cousins in free agency and selected Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick this offseason. That immediately pushed the veteran Heinicke down to QB3 on the depth chart and, ultimately, makes him an expendable piece.

Without the potentially burnt seasoning that someone like Tannehill could have as a veteran presence, Heinicke truly looks the part of a suped-up version of what Nick Mullens could be. In six NFL seasons (38 games, 29 starts), Heinicke has completed 62.5% of his throws for 39 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. He's been productive and generally has taken care of the ball as well.

Again, the Vikings aren't flush with draft capital right now and, to be sure, there will be a market for Heinicke before Week 1 as teams try to get the best 53-man roster submitted possible to begin the season. With McCarthy done for the year, though, Minnesota direly needs to find a surer option to back Darnold up, and Heinicke presents the best opportunity to do just that.