On Tuesday, the Minnesota Vikings faced a difficult setback as they announced that rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will miss the entire 2024 NFL season. This unfortunate development follows McCarthy’s surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee. The team confirmed on Wednesday that the full repair of the meniscus was indeed necessary.
Stepping up as the presumptive starter for the Vikings is veteran quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold, who has had his own ups and downs in the league, now shoulders the responsibility of leading the team through the upcoming season. The timing of McCarthy's injury is a harsh blow to a team that was banking on the rookie’s promising potential.
McCarthy’s surgery, conducted by the team doctor on Wednesday morning, cements his status as the eighth quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL draft in the Common Draft era to miss his entire rookie season. Distinctively, McCarthy is the first to miss his full rookie season due to an injury in this particular era.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell expressed his deep disappointment over the situation. “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.
McCarthy reported knee soreness when he came into the facility on Monday, a result likely linked to his performance in Minnesota's preseason opener. During that game, McCarthy completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, including two touchdowns and one interception. His knee soreness was evident post-game, leading the medical staff to hold him out of practice as a precautionary measure before the severity of his injury was confirmed.
Describing McCarthy’s potential and growth, O'Connell stated, “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.”
McCarthy’s enthusiasm and capabilities had given the Vikings something to cheer about, especially considering the bar was set low with their total win projection for the season initially pegged at 7. This projection has since dropped by half a win to 6.5 following the news of his injury. Moreover, the team’s odds to win the NFC North have decreased by 2.2%, and their chances of making the playoffs have dipped by 4.7% to a mere 10.3%.
Adding to Coach O’Connell’s comments, he remains optimistic about McCarthy's return. “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 … I know that is going to happen for J.J.,” O'Connell reassured.
While the focus understandably shifts to McCarthy's unfortunate absence, the Vikings are grappling with other challenges. The team has been coping with the prolonged absence of tight end T.J. Hockenson, who suffered an ACL tear late last season. Moreover, wide receiver Jordan Addison is facing a likely suspension following a DUI arrest earlier this summer. Despite Addison sustaining an injury in practice on Wednesday, initial reports suggest it is not perceived to be serious.
As the Vikings navigate through these turbulent times, the resolve within the organization is palpable. Head coach Kevin O'Connell remains confident in his team's ability to adapt and overcome. “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,” he remarked.
“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,” concluded O'Connell.
The Vikings' journey this season might be more challenging than expected, but with seasoned players like Darnold and the unwavering spirit of McCarthy, the team is looking to tackle the NFL season with resilience and determination.