Vikings' Rookie Quarterback J.J. McCarthy to Miss Entire 2024 Season After Knee Surgery
In a significant blow to the Minnesota Vikings, the team announced on Tuesday that rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will miss the entire 2024 NFL season due to a torn meniscus in his right knee. This news came after McCarthy underwent surgery on Wednesday morning to address the injury.
McCarthy becomes the eighth quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL draft in the Common Draft era to miss his entire rookie season, and notably, the first to do so due to an injury. The devastating news leaves the Vikings relying on Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback for the upcoming season.
Vikings' head coach Kevin O'Connell expressed his deep disappointment for both the team and McCarthy himself. "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.," O'Connell said. "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."
McCarthy's knee issues first surfaced after Minnesota's preseason opener, where he delivered an impressive performance, completing 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Following the game, he reported knee soreness and was subsequently held out of practice by the medical staff. The surgery's necessity was confirmed by the team on Wednesday, with a full repair of the meniscus deemed essential.
The impact of McCarthy's injury resonates deeply within the team, as reflected in their season projections and playoff chances. The Vikings' total win projection has decreased by half a win to 6.5. Their odds to win the NFC North have fallen by 2.2%, and their chances of making the playoffs have dipped by 4.7% to just 10.3%.
O'Connell remains optimistic about McCarthy's future, despite the immediate setback. "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," O'Connell remarked.
The Vikings are undoubtedly dealing with a series of adversities. They are already coping with the prolonged absence of tight end T.J. Hockenson, who suffered an ACL tear late last season. Additionally, wide receiver Jordan Addison is facing a likely suspension following a DUI arrest earlier this summer, and he sustained an injury in practice on Wednesday, although it is not believed to be serious.
O'Connell stressed the importance of continuing McCarthy's development, even while sidelined. "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," he noted. "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."
The head coach highlighted McCarthy's growth and potential despite the unfortunate turn of events. "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 explained.
As McCarthy embarks on his rehabilitation journey, the Vikings are focused on ensuring that his mental development continues. "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 said.
While McCarthy's debut season is put on hold, the Vikings and their fans are left to support his recovery and look forward to the potential he promises to bring to the team in the future.