Vikings Rookie Quarterback J.J. McCarthy to Miss Entire 2024 NFL Season
In a significant blow to their upcoming season, the Minnesota Vikings announced on Tuesday that rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will miss the entire 2024 NFL season due to a torn meniscus in his right knee. The injury, which was confirmed to require a full repair, sidelined the highly anticipated first-round pick just as he began to showcase his potential.
McCarthy reported knee soreness on Monday, following a promising performance in the Vikings' preseason opener where he completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The team medical staff held him out of practice to investigate further, and it was quickly determined that surgery would be necessary.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell expressed his deep disappointment but remained optimistic about McCarthy's future. "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.
The surgery, performed by the team's doctor on Wednesday morning, marks McCarthy as the eighth quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL draft in the Common Draft era to miss his entire rookie season. Notably, he is the first to do so due to an injury.
Now, with McCarthy sidelined, Sam Darnold is positioned as the presumptive starter for the upcoming season. This shift undoubtedly impacts the team's prospects. The Vikings' total win projection for the season has already dropped by half a win to 6.5, and their odds of winning the NFC North have decreased by 2.2%. The chances of making the playoffs have also taken a hit, dipping by 4.7% to 10.3%.
O'Connell remains hopeful about McCarthy's recovery and development despite the setback. "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 said.
For the Vikings, this is another piece of adversity in an offseason filled with challenges. 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 is facing a likely suspension following a DUI arrest earlier this summer. Addison also sustained an injury in practice on Wednesday, but it is not believed to be serious.
O'Connell emphasized the importance of McCarthy's mental development during his recovery. "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 is not only my expectation, I know that is going to happen for J.J."
Despite the immediate disappointment, O'Connell's confidence in McCarthy's future remains unwavering. "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 added.
As the Vikings adjust their expectations for the upcoming season, the focus will be on navigating these early-season injuries and maintaining competitive performance on the field. McCarthy's absence will undoubtedly be felt, but the team’s long-term goals remain intact, with hopes that their young quarterback will return stronger next season.
In the meantime, O'Connell is determined to maximize McCarthy's mental growth. "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," he said.
The 2024 season will indeed be a challenging one for the Vikings, but the belief in McCarthy's long-term potential will keep the team's spirits and ambitions high.