A quarter century ago, a then-obscure former indoor football star named Kurt Warner led the Rams to an unexpected title after starting quarterback Trent Green suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason. While no one knows how the Vikings‘ 2024 season will play out, it’s beginning is strikingly similar to the 1999 Rams.
On Friday, Minnesota formally placed rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy on injured reserve after he suffered a season-ending knee injury during the Vikings’ preseason opener against the Raiders. In a corresponding move, the team signed Matt Corral, whose professional career so far has just as many ups and downs as Warner’s did at the same point in his career.
Like Warner, Corral has had success in an alternative league. He recently won each of his three starts for the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions. In this year’s UFL conference championship game, Corral came off the bench to go 9 of 11 for 120 yards with two touchdown passes in leading the Stallions to a win over Michigan. Birmingham then went onto win its third consecutive league title.
“I think Matt is a very talented individual, but more than anything, I think today is an unbelievable lesson in resolve,” Stallions coach Skip Holtz said after the win over Michigan. “Not in four quarters of resolve but in two months of resolve, as he has had to stand on the sideline. And yet, he has taken every week in practice, they’ve split reps to keep them both sharp and ready. It would have been real easy for him to hang his head, sulk, pout, and yet, he’s been completely in it and ready for his opportunity.”
Corral’s resolve has been on display throughout his pro career. It started when he injured his leg during his final college game, a game that many people in his position would have opted out of. The injury was a sour ending to an otherwise glittering season that saw Corral set several school records.
Despite a prolific two-year run at Ole Miss, Corral wasn’t selected until the Panthers took him with the 94th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. His rookie season didn’t last long after he suffered a season-ending injury in Carolina’s third preseason game.
A year later, Corral temporarily walked away from football shortly after being claimed off waivers by the Patriots (he was waived by Carolina just before the start of the regular season). He didn’t sign with anyone else before putting pen to paper with the Stallions last February.
While his UFL numbers weren’t anything special, Corral did win each of his three starts in addition to his relief work in Birmingham’s win over Michigan.
Corral joins a crowded Vikings quarterback room that includes new starter Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall. Corral is likely in a competition to be the team’s No. 3 quarterback.
While the odds of Corral ever starting a game for the Vikings are slim, crazier things have happened before. Just ask Warner and the 1999 Rams.
