EAGAN, Minn. — Days after his promising NFL preseason debut, Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will have surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed the diagnosis during a virtual press conference on Tuesday, adding that the 21-year-old quarterback will need to undergo a procedure that will take place in the "near future."
"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," said O'Connell. "That won't be able to be determined until that procedure takes place. So, I would really just be speculating on a timeline at this point."
According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, recovery could take up to six to eight weeks to heal, and potentially six to eight months before returning to sports. However, if it's a minor arthroscopic procedure the recovery time is much shorter.
"Recovery from surgery will depend on the procedure," Mayo Health's Robert Cates, D.O. wrote back in 2021. "If a meniscus repair is performed, it can require six to eight weeks on crutches or in a brace, followed by physical therapy to rebuild strength and help the knee heal well enough to withstand twisting and pivoting motions. It may be six to eight months before patients return to sports. Recovery from more minor arthroscopic procedures can be much shorter, with return to sports in a matter of weeks."
The news comes as a major blow to the team after McCarthy shined in his preseason debut Saturday against the Las Vegas Raiders. The first round (10th overall) pick went 11 of 17 for 188 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while helping the Vikings rally to a 24-23 victory over the Raiders.
"I had a very clear-cut plan and really was gonna continue through that with J.J. on the field, getting more and more reps, and obviously coming off of a performance like he had where we felt strongly about where he was at in his development process," O'Connell said. "Really, you hurt for him in the short-term, because he had such a daily process, focus, all those things that I was really looking for in a young player at the position."
Sam Darnold, a former first-round pick and free agent acquisition, was already in line to be the Vikings' starting quarterback in Week 1, but McCarthy's play throughout training camp and in the first preseason game provided some speculation as to whether Darnold would remain atop the depth chart when the season kicked off.
McCarthy thanked fans of The Purple in a post on X, concluding with the Latin phrase, "amor fati" — which literally translates to "love of fate" — but is often used to acknowledge that everything happens for a reason.
"First and foremost, we'll get this procedure done, we'll make sure that we're doing the right things for him to have the best possible recovery when that takes place," O'Connell said. "... Obviously we didn't want J.J. to get injured, but we don't know the severity yet, and that is honestly where we're at."
O'Connell said he didn't know when the injury may have occurred on Saturday, and added that McCarthy didn't leave the game due to the injury. He was he out of Monday's practice after reporting soreness in his right knee.
"He finished his night with his second touchdown pass, and at that point, kind of had reached the snap count that I was hoping to get him for the game, and at that point was taken out," O'Connell said. "At no time did he think it was something that would take him out of the football game; not allow him to play."
Fellow rookie Dallas Turner also took to social media to show his support for McCarthy.
*This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
