Jim Harbaugh reacts to JJ McCarthy's season-ending injury

Don't discount JJ ​​McCarthy's long-term success, even though his rookie season with the Vikings ended before it really began when he underwent meniscus surgery earlier this week. McCarthy's biggest supporter may be his former head coach at Michigan, Jim Harbaugh.

“I know how the story is going to end with JJ. I've been in that movie with him, nothing can bring him down. It's not going to be life-changing. Just a pothole,” Harbaugh, now head coach of the Chargers, told reporters about his 21-year-old quarterback who won the championship at Michigan.

Harbaugh recruited McCarthy to the Wolverines when he was a five-star high school prospect in the class of 2021. He gave him a chance early in his college career, playing 11 games as a freshman. As a head coach-quarterback duo, they experienced many ups and downs, eventually leading Michigan to three consecutive Big Ten titles (2021-23) after not winning one since 2004. Last season, it all culminated in the program's first national championship since 1997.

Minnesota's franchise quarterback will have to wait until 2025 for his NFL regular-season debut, but if his story goes the way Harbaugh believes, this injury will be just a small chapter in McCarthy's book.