Vikings' Rookie Quarterback J.J. McCarthy to Miss Entire 2024 Season After Meniscus Surgery
The Minnesota Vikings have been dealt a significant blow ahead of the 2024 NFL season. On Tuesday, the team announced that rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will miss the entire season following surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee, an injury that necessitated a full repair.
The surgery, performed by the Vikings' team doctor on Wednesday morning, confirmed the worst-case scenario for McCarthy, the eighth quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in the Common Draft era to miss his rookie season entirely. McCarthy is unique in this group as he is the first to miss the season due to an injury.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell expressed his deep disappointment in losing the young quarterback for the season. "As crushed as I am for our team and the excitement we had in our building, and our fanbase felt the same way... I am the most crushed for J.J. But as our fans either have already come to find out or will in the future, this guy is so motivated and so dialed in," O'Connell stated.
Early Promise Cut Short
McCarthy's injury comes as a significant setback, especially after a promising performance in Minnesota's preseason opener. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, throwing two touchdowns and one interception, before reporting knee soreness when he entered the facility on Monday. The medical staff decided to hold him out of practice following the game, observing that his knee soreness was evident post-game.
Head Coach Kevin O'Connell was effusive in his praise for the rookie quarterback. "As excited as I was to draft him, he's confirmed everything that I hoped to see, not only early on through training camp, first performance last Saturday, but he should -- our fanbase and everyone should just be excited about the fact that we've got our young franchise quarterback, I believe, in the building," he said.
Sam Darnold Steps Up
With McCarthy sidelined, veteran quarterback Sam Darnold is now positioned as the presumptive starter for the Vikings heading into the upcoming season. The team's expectations for the season have been adjusted accordingly, with their total win projection dropping by half a win to 6.5. The Vikings' odds to win the NFC North have decreased by 2.2%, and their chances of making the playoffs have dipped by 4.7% to 10.3%.
The team is also contending with other challenges. Tight end T.J. Hockenson continues to rehabilitate from an ACL tear suffered late last season, and wide receiver Jordan Addison is facing a likely suspension following a DUI arrest earlier this summer. Addison also sustained an injury in practice on Wednesday, though it's not believed to be serious.
A Long Road Ahead
The road to recovery for McCarthy will be challenging, but O'Connell remains optimistic. "It's just about the unique aspect of continuing a very critical development process for him where maybe the physical reps aren't going to be there in the short-term. But this is going to be a small bump in the road. Other quarterbacks in our league have gone through similar things early on in their journey and come back stronger and better than ever. And that is not only my expectation, I know that is going to happen for J.J.," O'Connell emphasized.
The head coach also highlighted the physical and mental aspects of McCarthy's recovery. "Checking the boxes of the physical part of it, there is no question in my mind the physical talent that J.J. has. And even just for some of you guys who saw him back from Day 1 in the spring until really Saturday night, the transformation of a really good player, had really started to look like an NFL quarterback," O'Connell observed.
While the physical reps will be on hold, O'Connell is keen on ensuring that McCarthy's mental development continues unabated. "Outside of the physical reps, there's just so many ways that now that the physical side and the path to physically playing the position the way we want is clearly there, it's now the [need to] really stress mentally above the neck where, how many ways and different sequences and different environments can we put him in that we can get as close to those reps as possible so that he has a seamless transition when that time is right," O'Connell explained.
The Vikings now face the task of navigating a challenging season without their promising young quarterback. Nonetheless, the team is hopeful that McCarthy's determined approach to his recovery will ultimately result in a successful return to the field. For now, all eyes will be on how the Vikings adapt and strive to remain competitive in his absence.