It’s common for newcomers to enter the NFL to hit the rookie wall, meaning they run out of steam midway through the season after doing nothing but football for the last year. Their schedule becomes a marathon that first year: They play college football, train for the NFL Scouting Combine, go through the draft process, rookie minicamp, organized team activities, practice at training camp, and begin their first NFL season.

This constant change means there is little time to relax, rest and recover before the NFL season begins, which begins in early September and doesn’t end until after the New Year. In such an environment, it can be difficult for a player to digest an offense, and for most quarterbacks, it is particularly challenging.

With McCarthy now out of action, he can focus on the mental side of the game during his rehab without the pressure of preparing to play on the field.

In short, his injury may prove to be a blessing in disguise, even if it was difficult to cope with.

“The biggest learning curve is my routine during the week,” McCarthy said. “I want to solidify what it’s like to get through the week with the benefit of not having the pressure to perform on Sunday. Then when I play, whenever that will be, next year, the year after that, whenever it will be, I’ll be ready and it won’t be like this is my first game.”

“There are a lot of different ways to discover the really amazing things that we overlook in life at times like this, because just being able to walk is such a blessing, and I don’t know that unless I have it. So I’ve just been going through things like that.”

Minnesota will continue with Sam Darnold as the starter and may miss McCarthy in 2024. He no doubt wishes he could be out there for his teammates. But in the grand scheme of things, it could be worth the wait.