How rumored injury to J.J. McCarthy could impact Michigan Football

There is a rumor circulating and some reporting to back it up about an injury to Michigan football QB J.J. McCarthy and here’s what it could mean for the Wolverines. 

One of the biggest storylines surrounding Michigan football this spring is the quarterback position and the expected battle for the starting job between Cade McNamara and J.J. McCarthy.

McNamara was the starter last season and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors as he led Michigan football to a 12-2 record overall and a Big Ten championship, as well as a victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes for the first time since 2011.

While McNamara took most of the snaps, McCarthy made an impact too. Not only did he have some wow throws and multiple Big Ten games with a touchdown run and touchdown pass but he’s also a former five-star recruit and a future star.

However, in an unfortunate twist, rumor has it that McCarthy has an injury to his shoulder. Chris Balas of The Wolverines reported something on the subject (subscription required) on the On3 message boards but nothing has been announced.

How McCarthy’s injury could impact Michigan football

The rumor is that McCarthy has a shoulder injury and that he could miss this spring. He would be expected back by the summer, however, it’s going to cost him some valuable time in his quest to overtake McNamara for the starting job.

McNamara will get more reps during this spring if this turns out to be true and that’s going to give him an edge, plus you never know how rehab goes and stuff like that — so timelines sometimes change.

The biggest takeaway is that it’s a good thing Michigan has two really good quarterbacks it can turn to. McCarthy I’m sure will be ready to go and it’s better to have surgery now than closer to the season but it will likely stall his momentum at being the starter.

Not forever though. This just reinforces how critical it is to have both guys going into next season because regardless of who is named the starter, Michigan football is going to need both.

Georgia needed two quarterbacks to win the national title and Alabama has needed that too with Tua and Jalen Hurts. So it’s not terribly new and it’s all going to come down to who plays better when the regular season starts. That’s really where the job will be won for good.