Vikings' Rookie Quarterback J.J. McCarthy to Miss Entire 2024 Season Following Knee Surgery
In a significant blow to their upcoming season, the Minnesota Vikings announced on Tuesday that rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be sidelined for the entire 2024 NFL season. McCarthy underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee, the team confirmed the next day.
McCarthy, who reported knee soreness on Monday, was held out of practice by the medical staff. This decision came on the heels of an impressive preseason debut where he completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. However, the knee soreness persisted, making the ultimate surgical intervention inevitable. The procedure, performed by the team's doctor on Wednesday morning, required a full repair of the meniscus.
The ramifications of McCarthy's injury extend beyond the young quarterback himself. The team's total win projection for the season dropped by half a win to 6.5. Additionally, the Vikings' odds of winning the NFC North decreased by 2.2%, and their chances of making the playoffs have dipped by 4.7% to 10.3%.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell expressed his profound disappointment, particularly for McCarthy. "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 said, praising McCarthy's dedication and potential.
McCarthy, the eighth quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL draft in the Common Draft era to miss his entire rookie season, is also the first to do so due to an injury. Despite this setback, O'Connell remains optimistic about McCarthy's future. "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," he added.
The Vikings' roster has faced several challenges heading into the season. The team is still coping with the prolonged absence of tight end T.J. Hockenson, who suffered an ACL tear late last season. Additionally, wide receiver Jordan Addison, who was already facing a likely suspension following a DUI arrest earlier this summer, sustained an injury in practice on Wednesday. Though Addison's injury is not believed to be serious, it adds to the team's mounting concerns.
With McCarthy's long-term development now the focus, O'Connell emphasized the importance of mental preparation during this period. "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," O'Connell noted. He remains confident that McCarthy will return stronger, using examples of other quarterbacks who have overcome early career injuries.
"Checking the boxes of the physical part of it, there is no question in my mind the physical talent that J.J. has. And even just for some of you guys who saw him back from Day 1 in the spring until really Saturday night, the transformation of a really good player, had really started to look like an NFL quarterback," O'Connell observed, highlighting McCarthy's rapid progress and development.
Sam Darnold, the seasoned quarterback, is now positioned as the presumptive starter for the Vikings heading into the 2024 season. While Darnold's experience provides some stability, the anticipation surrounding McCarthy will undoubtedly remain high until he can return to the field.
As the Vikings navigate these challenges, the team's long-term strategy looks set to keep McCarthy's development on track, even if the physical reps are postponed. "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.