Vikings' Rookie Quarterback J.J. McCarthy to Miss 2024 Season Due to Meniscus Surgery
In a significant blow to the Minnesota Vikings' upcoming season, the team announced on Tuesday that rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be sidelined for the entire 2024 NFL season due to a torn meniscus in his right knee. The injury, which requires a full repair, was confirmed by the team on Wednesday following McCarthy's surgery performed by their team doctor.
McCarthy's injury, which he initially reported as knee soreness on Monday, was further aggravated during his performance in Minnesota's preseason opener. Despite completing 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, his knee ailment became evident post-game. Subsequently, the medical staff decided to hold him out of practice.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell expressed his deep disappointment, not only for the team and their excited fanbase but most importantly for 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. 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 stated.
With McCarthy's season cut short, Sam Darnold steps into the spotlight as the presumptive starter for the Vikings. This shift is reflected in the team's projections, with their total win projection for the season dropping by half a win to 6.5. The Vikings' odds of winning the NFC North have decreased by 2.2%, and their chances of making the playoffs have dipped by 4.7% to 10.3%.
The team's recent challenges don't end with McCarthy's injury. The Vikings are also 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. Addison also sustained an injury in practice on Wednesday; however, it is not believed to be serious.
O'Connell remains optimistic about McCarthy's future despite the challenging 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 said.
McCarthy’s predicament makes him the eighth quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL draft during the Common Draft era to miss his entire rookie season. Notably, he is the first to do so because of an injury. This unfortunate twist in McCarthy's career also highlights the unique aspects of a young quarterback's development and recovery process, an area where O'Connell sees potential for valuable growth.
"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 shared.
As McCarthy embarks on his recovery journey, O'Connell emphasized the importance of the mental aspects of his development. "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 explained.
Though the immediate future may seem uncertain, the Vikings' faith in McCarthy's abilities remains unwavering. As the team navigates this challenging period, the collective hope is that McCarthy will come back stronger and more prepared to lead the Vikings in the seasons to come.