The Minnesota Vikings lost rookie J.J. McCarthy to a season-ending knee injury during preseason. It was revealed that McCarthy suffered a completely torn meniscus.
McCarthy received season-ending surgery and became the first-ever quarterback to miss their rookie season after being selected in the first round. Now, McCarthy has undergone a second knee surgery, placing his recovery in further jeopardy.
According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, “NEWS: Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy had a 2nd surgery on his right knee this week to address swelling that developed after an uptick in rehab activity, per source. As part of the procedure, he was given a biological injection. No changes to recovery timetable.”
McCarthy was selected No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Michigan. The Vikings had hoped that McCarthy would be the missing element of their offense, but McCarthy began to lose his footing in a quarterback competition with Sam Darnold.
Darnold had been announced as the starter, and McCarthy would serve as backup. However, his knee injury led to the rookie having to miss the entire 2024 season. Now, a second surgery might be a bigger cause for concern.
Seifert did state in his post on X that the surgery will not impact McCarthy’s timeline for return, but a second surgery is still something to be concerned about. The good news is that McCarthy is young, and should hopefully be able to recover quickly.
McCarthy played for Michigan and Jim Harbaugh, where he secured 6,226 yards, 49 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also secured a 27-1 record, which is the third-best winning percentage in major college football history.
McCarthy fell down the draft boards, and the Vikings pounced at the idea of drafting the star from Michigan. However, no one accounted for Darnold also rebounding his career in a big way.
The Vikings are currently 7-2 on the season, and Darnold has thrown 2,141 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He has also rushed for 148 yards.
The Vikings are one of the favorites in the NFC to challenge the conference for a Super Bowl spot. Darnold has been playing very well, along with the Vikings’ defense being formidable.
For McCarthy, he will have to recover the rest of 2024, and will likely be ready to be backup and learn behind Darnold in 2025. Though the initial idea was that McCarthy could start sooner rather than later, his knee injury and Darnold playing well might sideline the rookie for a few seasons.
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