The Minnesota Vikings received their first glimpse of rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy in action over the weekend in the team’s first preseason game. Unfortunately, it will also be the last look at the young signal-caller for a while.
On Tuesday, reports emerged McCarthy would have to undergo knee surgery and miss an undetermined amount of time. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first with the news of the procedure. Shortly thereafter, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported McCarthy was dealing with a meniscus issue, which indicates his recovery time will vary quite a bit depending on the surgery he gets.
The Vikings selected McCarthy with the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL draft in the wake of Kirk Cousins’ departure to the Atlanta Falcons. He has been receiving backup quarterback snaps to this point, as Minnesota brought in Sam Darnold in free agency to act as a bridge between the Cousins era and whenever McCarthy was ready to take the reigns. The Michigan product played well in his first taste of NFL action, completing 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns to one interception against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Now McCarthy is sidelined for the foreseeable future. The offense is Darnold’s entering the 2024 season; the former top-5 pick spent last season in San Francisco backing up Brock Purdy with the 49ers.
The Vikings’ next preseason contest comes on Saturday against the Cleveland Browns. Their season opener will be on September 8 against the New York Giants on the road.