J.J. McCarthy’s 2024 season is over before it even started.
The Minnesota Vikings’ rookie quarterback, who was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, tore the meniscus in his right knee. He underwent surgery to repair the injury yesterday.
The Vikings were looking forward to the season with their new quarterback, but now they’re facing the tough reality that he won’t be playing this year. Instead, veteran quarterback Sam Darnold, who signed a $10 million contract with the team in March according to ESPN, is expected to start for the Vikings.
McCarthy likely suffered the injury during the preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, August 10. Initially, there was hope that a minor procedure might allow McCarthy to return midseason, but after further evaluation, the Vikings’ medical team led by Dr. Chris Larson determined that a full repair was needed, ruling out any chance of him playing in 2024.
Coach Kevin O’Connell is trying to stay positive despite the setback. “He’s shown everything I hoped to see early in training camp with his performance last Saturday,” O’Connell said from the Cleveland Browns’ practice facility, where the Vikings are training this week. “Our fans should be excited that we have our young franchise quarterback in the building. Now, it’s about continuing his critical development, even though the physical reps won’t be there for a while. This is just a small bump in the road.”
He continued, “Other quarterbacks have faced similar challenges early in their careers and came back stronger. That’s not just my expectation, it’s what I know will happen for J.J. We’ll have a solid plan for him in the quarterback room, and I’ll make sure he and I keep building our rapport day by day.”
O’Connell finished with, “J.J. has already proven to me, our coaches, and players that he’s the right guy for the future. He did it in such a short time, which makes this news tough. But that optimism should be shared by everyone in our building, and hopefully by our fans as well.”
[ESPN]
