Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy to have surgery on torn meniscus: What does this mean for Minnesota?
EAGAN, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will have surgery this week on a torn meniscus in his right knee, coach Kevin O’Connell announced Tuesday.
A timeline for how long the Vikings’ 2024 first-round draft pick could be out is expected to be determined following the surgery, sources told The Athletic.
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McCarthy underwent testing related to knee soreness after he reported the injury Monday afternoon. The rookie didn’t practice Monday night at the TCO Performance Center.
“He could’ve continued playing (Saturday),” O’Connell said of the team’s preseason victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. “He had a really positive performance. We’re trying to figure out when it happened, but he just came in with some routine soreness that a lot of guys after their first preseason game sometimes come in with. It was something we wanted to be smart about.”
McCarthy performed well Saturday, completing 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Minnesota had planned 30 snaps for McCarthy, and he played exactly that amount. McCarthy also spoke after the game and was upbeat while answering questions.
On Monday, O’Connell complimented McCarthy’s preseason showing. McCarthy, a 21-year-old rookie who was the 10th pick in the 2024 draft, responded to the early interception with two touchdowns, deep balls to Trishton Jackson and Trent Sherfield Sr.
O’Connell said the Vikings had projected McCarthy to take more snaps with the No. 1 offense Monday night on the road against the Cleveland Browns.
He’ll undergo his procedure this week, and the results will provide more clarity on length. In the meantime, the attention now turns to Sam Darnold, who will get the bulk of the work Wednesday and Thursday in Cleveland in joint practices against the Browns. Minnesota signed Darnold with the idea he would allow McCarthy time to develop.
The Vikings believe in McCarthy’s upside alongside a respected coaching staff and elite skill players, especially at receiver. Darnold has mostly impressed throughout training camp, including his showing Saturday when he completed 4 of 8 passes against the Raiders.
Darnold’s performance against the Browns, edge rusher Myles Garrett and cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Martin Emerson Jr. were always going to be informative in terms of his ability. The reps are that much more important now with him all but a shoo-in to be the Week 1 starter.
Silver linings don’t really exist for injuries like these, but there is an optimistic way to view this. Depending on the overall severity of McCarthy’s injury — and the timeline — the rehab could allow him to watch and observe and develop behind Darnold to start the season.
From the time Minnesota drafted McCarthy, it has been consistent in saying it wants to take the long-term approach to development. Meaning, the Vikings were fine to allow McCarthy to sit and watch Darnold and progress in terms of his footwork and understanding of the playbook.
Though for a negative reason, the noise around McCarthy will now quiet for a bit. He’ll have some time away from the field to study and to calmly absorb the situation around him. There is still a world in which he assumes the starter role at some point during this season — which is essentially how Minnesota has preferred it from the get go.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
