Matt Corral is returning to the NFL to ease the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback dilemma.
The Vikings have signed Corral, a 2022 third-round NFL Draft pick by the Carolina Panthers out of the University of Mississippi, and placed quarterback J.J. McCarthy on season-ending injured reserve Friday.
McCarthy underwent successful meniscus surgery earlier this week, leaving six-year veteran Sam Darnold as the undisputed starter going into the 2024 campaign, with Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall backing him up. The Vikings were in a game of musical quarterbacks with Mullens, Hall, Joshua Dobbs and Kirk Cousins starting games for Minnesota in 2023. So, head coach Kevin O’Connell knows from experience that you can never have too many signal callers at your disposal when you might have to call their number.
Whether Corral has a chance to make the 53-man roster or is simply a camp arm will remain to be seen over the coming weeks.
Still wet behind the ears, being just 25 years old, and having a lot to learn about the speed of the NFL game, Corral could potentially be a raw project for the quarterback-savvy O’Connell.
Embed from Getty ImagesCorral, who has not yet taken the field in an official NFL game, has also had a cup of coffee and a donut with the New England Patriots and the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions. Corral will join unproven quarterback room to say the least with Darnold, Mullens and Hall on the Vikings’ roster.
Similar to McCarthy’s circumstance, Corral suffered a devastating injury ahead of his rookie season that landed him on injured reserve. He was waived by the Panthers in the summer of 2023 and then claimed by former coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots, who he spent time with on the practice squad.
He is now coming off a season in the UFL for the Stallions, having helped the team to a league championship.
As for McCarthy, his season is now officially over before it could even get off the starting block, a heartbreaking start for the Vikings’ hopeful franchise quarterback of the future.
