Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will undergo knee surgery and be out indefinitely after tests revealed a meniscus issue, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell later told reporters in a previously unscheduled media session that McCarthy has a meniscus tear in his right knee.
"As far as the timeline of the injury, that will be something determined during the procedure, based upon whether it can just be a cleanup or potentially a repair," O’Connell said on Tuesday.
According to Rapoport, McCarthy would only miss a few weeks if the meniscus can be trimmed. If it requires a full repair, McCarthy would miss “many months.”
McCarthy sat out Monday’s practice with what was initially deemed to be knee soreness, and further tests revealed the issue that required surgery.
In his NFL preseason debut on Saturday, McCarthy showed promise in a two-TD performance.
McCarthy started slowly after replacing starter Sam Darnold on the Vikings’ second drive, throwing an interception on his fourth play. But he settled in nicely thereafter, finishing the game 11 of 17 passing for 188 yards with two TDs and the INT over his six drives, also adding two rushes for 18 yards.
“I credit J.J. for obviously being able to continue to play,” O’Connell said on Tuesday. “He did not come out of the game from the injury and finished his night with his second touchdown pass. At that point, (he) kind of had reached the snap count I was hoping to get him through the game and at that point was taken out, but at no time did he think it was something that would be something to take him out of the football game and not allow him to play.”
One way or another, this injury will interrupt the Vikings’ preparation plan they laid out for their rookie QB.
"I had a very clear-cut plan and was going to continue through that with J.J. on the field, getting more and more reps and obviously coming off a performance like he had where we felt strongly about where he was at in his development process,” O’Connell said. “You hurt for him in the short term here because he had such a daily process, focus, all those things that I was really looking for in a young player at the position.
“First and foremost, we will get this procedure done, make sure that we're doing the right things for him to have the best possible recovery when that takes place."
The Vikings traded up one spot to select McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the fifth quarterback selected overall out of six total in the first round. Minnesota also signed Darnold, who is expected to be the Week 1 starter, earlier in the offseason.
McCarthy, 21, led Michigan to the College Football Playoff in the 2022 season and to a national championship in the 2023 season, capping off a perfect 15-0 mark. In three years with the Wolverines, McCarthy threw for 6,226 yards, 49 TDs and 11 interceptions, also rushing for 632 yards and 10 additional TDs.