Vikings QB depth chart after J.J. McCarthy ruled out for 2024

The Minnesota Vikings just got their first opportunity to see J.J. McCarthy play in an NFL game. Sure, it was preseason and not a "meaningful game," but McCarthy showed promise. There was some bad, like the interception on his first drive, but there were positives like his two touchdown passes.

In the days after the game, it was revealed that McCarthy was dealing with "knee soreness," and that he would need to undergo testing. That testing revealed that the rookie had a torn meniscus and that he would require surgery. The hope was that he would need a trimming of the meniscus and not a full repair, as he would be able to return in a matter of weeks.

But on Wednesday, the Vikings received the news they dreaded -- McCarthy needed a full repair of the meniscus. With that, the rookie is out for the entire 2024 season.

With that, it will be the Sam Darnold show for the entirety of the 2024 season. That was the expectation heading into the year, with McCarthy sitting behind Darnold, allowing him to develop. But with McCarthy out, what does the depth chart look like?

Vikings depth chart with J.J. McCarthy out for the season

Here is what the quarterback depth looks like on the Vikings as of this writing:

1. Sam Darnold
2. Nick Mullens
3. Jaren Hall

Darnold gets a chance to prove that he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL. His New York Jets tenure was a disaster, and his second chance with the Carolina Panthers saw mixed results. Now, Darnold enters a favorable situation with the Vikings, as he has an offensive-minded head coach in Kevin O'Connell, targets to throw to like Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Jordan Addison, and a Pro Bowl running back to lean upon in Aaron Jones.

If all goes well, Darnold could have a Geno Smith-type resurgence, which would be ironic, considering they were both former Jets starting quarterbacks.

Now firmly as the backup quarterback is Nick Mullens. Mullens had been with the San Francisco 49ers since 2017 when signed as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Miss. But after the 2020 season, Mullens bounced around from team to team, before staying put with the Vikings since 2022.

Mullens has starter's experience, getting the QB1 nod in 20 games (16 with 49ers). In his career, Mullens recorded a 5-15 win-loss record, along with 6,391 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, and 31 interceptions on a 65.8 completion percentage.

As for Jaren Hall, he was just drafted by the Vikings last year, specifically in the fifth round out of BYU. Hall started two games for the Vikings last year with Kirk Cousins suffering a torn Achilles midseason. In three games total, Hall completed 13-of-20 pass attempts for 168 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception, while accumulating a 1-1 win-loss record. In his lone win against the Atlanta Falcons, Hall threw five completions for 78 yards on six attempts.

With McCarthy out for the year, it's likely Hall avoided the roster bubble. But, things can change, especially if the Vikings find a way to land another quarterback.