Vikings' Rookie Quarterback J.J. McCarthy to Miss Entire 2024 NFL Season
On Tuesday, the Minnesota Vikings delivered disheartening news for their fanbase as the team announced that rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy would miss the entire 2024 NFL season. McCarthy underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee, an injury that required a full repair. The surgery, performed by the team's doctor on Wednesday morning, will unfortunately sideline the promising young quarterback for his entire rookie season.
The injury marks a significant blow to the Vikings, who had high hopes for McCarthy following his selection in the first round of the NFL draft. Notably, McCarthy becomes the eighth quarterback in the Common Draft era to miss his entire rookie season, and the first to do so due to an injury.
Immediate Impact
Sam Darnold now steps into the role of the presumptive starter for the Vikings as they head into the upcoming season. The team’s total win projection has dropped by half a win to 6.5, reflecting the setback posed by McCarthy's absence. Additionally, the Vikings' odds to win the NFC North have decreased by 2.2%, and their chances of making the playoffs have dipped by 4.7% to 10.3%.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell shared his disappointment but remained hopeful 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 stated.
Despite the setback, O'Connell expressed confidence in McCarthy's potential, indicating that the young quarterback had already shown significant promise in training camp and his first preseason outing. "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," O'Connell said.
Preseason Highlights and Setbacks
McCarthy's injury stemmed from knee soreness he reported on Monday after playing in Minnesota's preseason opener. During that game, McCarthy showcased his potential by completing 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. However, the soreness became evident post-game, leading to further medical evaluation and the decision to hold him out of practice.
"Checking the boxes of the physical part of it, there is no question in my mind the physical talent that J.J. has," O'Connell emphasized. "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."
Challenges Ahead
The Vikings are no strangers to adversity. The team is already dealing with the prolonged absence of tight end T.J. Hockenson, who sustained an ACL tear late last season. Furthermore, 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, though it's not believed to be serious.
As the Vikings navigate these challenges, O'Connell highlighted the importance of McCarthy's continued development, even in the absence of physical play. "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," he said. "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."
Although McCarthy's injury is a significant setback for the Vikings, both the team and its fans have reason to stay optimistic about the future. McCarthy's talent and motivation, combined with the support of his coaches and teammates, suggest that this is merely a "small bump in the road" on his path to becoming a franchise quarterback. "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.," O'Connell asserted.