Minnesota Vikings fans will have to wait a little longer before they see JJ McCarthy on the field again.
The 2024 first-round pick underwent a full meniscus repair on Wednesday, with head coach Kevin O’Connell announcing he will sit out for the 2024 season.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced that JJ McCarthy underwent successful surgery this morning. He is expected to make a full recovery and will miss the entire 2024 season.
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 14, 2024
McCarthy injured himself in his NFL preseason opener. He remained in the game despite knee soreness, and the Vikings took another close look at it two days later. The team discovered a torn meniscus in McCarthy’s knee, but said they would not know the extent of the injury or a timetable for his return until surgery was performed.
McCarthy would not start the regular season. The team’s plan was for Sam Darnold to start the season as QB1, giving McCarthy time to learn. That decision became permanent for the team with McCarthy’s injury.
Vikings fans will have to hold on to the footage of McCarthy’s first preseason game for a while longer. He played very well. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns against the Las Vegas Raiders. Most of his work came against defenders far down the Raiders’ depth chart, but he still looked decisive and made some nice throws. It was a positive debut, followed by some bad injury news.
The Vikings will be cautious about McCarthy’s return. They traded up to the 10th overall pick to take McCarthy and are aware that they have been doing the best they can for his development since they selected him. That plan did not include a preseason injury, which puts a damper on the Vikings’ season before it even begins.
