It’s Over Before it Began: Vikings Rookie J.J. McCarthy to Undergo Surgery

Going into training camp for the Minnesota Vikings, the main topic of discussion was the development of rookie QB J.J. McCarthy, that conversation just took a dramatic twist.

The rookie QB was reported to have missed practice and was complaining about soreness in his right knee over the weekend after the team's first preseason game against the Raiders, well that soreness turned out to be a big problem for McCarthy.

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Adam Schefter from ESPN reports that the Vikings first-round draft pick, and future franchise QB, will have to undergo surgery on his right knee for a torn meniscus after he had an MRI Monday night.

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McCarthy's recovery will depend on how severe the damage is, and the procedure used to repair it, it could take anywhere from 6 weeks to 6 months for him to be back in playing shape. So it's safe to say that the rookie will not see any playing time the rest of this season.

That means that the team can move forward with Sam Darnold as the starting QB, no more controversy about who should start from week to week, and that may be a good thing for both McCarthy and Darnold.

The Vikings selected McCarthy as the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and hopes were high that the University of Michigan QB could be the future franchise QB for the team, and by all accounts his development was coming along during training camp.

In Saturday's preseason opener against Las Vegas, McCarthy threw 2 touchdown passes and passed for 188 yards, going 11-of-17. The Vikings won the game 24-23.