Vikings’ Rookie Quarterback J.J. McCarthy to Miss Entire 2024 NFL Season After Meniscus Surgery
In a significant setback for the Minnesota Vikings, rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will miss the entire 2024 NFL season following surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee. The announcement came on Tuesday, with the team confirming a full repair of the meniscus was necessary.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell expressed his deep disappointment, not only for the team but particularly for McCarthy. "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 said.
McCarthy reported knee soreness upon arriving at the facility on Monday, which led the medical staff to hold him out of practice. This soreness became apparent after McCarthy’s solid showing in Minnesota's preseason opener, where he completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
Replacing McCarthy, Sam Darnold is now positioned as the presumptive starter for the Vikings heading into the 2024 season. This shift has impacted the team’s prospects, with their total win projection dropping by half a win to 6.5. Additionally, the Vikings' odds to win the NFC North have decreased by 2.2%, while their chances of making the playoffs have dipped by 4.7% to just 10.3%.
O'Connell remains optimistic about McCarthy’s future, despite this early career hurdle. "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 our fanbase and everyone should just be excited about the fact that we've got our young franchise quarterback, I believe, in the building," O'Connell asserted.
McCarthy's surgery was performed by the team doctor on Wednesday morning. The procedure went as planned, setting the stage for a lengthy recovery and rehabilitation period. McCarthy joins a notable list, becoming the eighth quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL draft in the Common Draft era to miss his entire rookie season, and the first to do so due to injury.
On the developmental side, O'Connell emphasized the importance of McCarthy continuing his growth off the field. "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 explained.
The Vikings are dealing with a series of challenges beyond McCarthy's injury. Tight end T.J. Hockenson is coping with an ACL tear from late last season, while wide receiver Jordan Addison is facing a likely suspension following a DUI arrest earlier this summer. Addison sustained an injury in practice on Wednesday, but it is not believed to be serious.
"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 noted about McCarthy’s ongoing development.
Despite the challenges ahead, the Minnesota Vikings must now pivot and adapt, relying heavily on Darnold and the rest of the team to step up in McCarthy’s absence. If O'Connell’s confidence is anything to go by, the young quarterback's absence, while significant, could be a temporary setback in a promising career.