SCARY SETBACK
Minnesota Vikings coach gives JJ McCarthy injury update as rookie quarterback misses practice with worrying issue
McCarthy was drafted with the No. 10 pick in this year's draft
THE Minnesota Vikings have given a worrying update about their rookie quarterback.
After one preseason game, Vikings rookie JJ McCarthy is set to undergo knee surgery.
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McCarthy reported knee soreness to team medical officials on Monday and did not participate in Monday's night practice, according to Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell.
The Michigan alum had a promising NFL preseason debut, overcoming an early interception to produce a solid statline.
McCarthy threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns on 11 of 17 passing. He also scrambled twice for 18 yards.
There was no indication of an injury during the game, and McCarthy was only removed after his scheduled 30 snaps.
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"Out of precaution we're going to continue an evaluation on him and get some more testing done," O'Connell said.
"[He is a] very important player, obviously, so we want to make sure we're smart before he participates, making sure we have a good understanding of where he's at."
O'Connell initially didn't express much concern over the injury, later referring to it as "some kind of routine soreness that a lot of guys after their first preseason game sometimes come in with, and it was something we wanted to be smart about."
However, it has now been determined that McCarthy tore his meniscus in his right knee.
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Sam Darnold is currently receiving the first-team reps for the Vikings, but McCarthy was scheduled to increase his time with the ones this week.
"Hopefully we can maintain the plans we’ve had for him," O’Connell said.
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"He’s done a great job throughout training camp, whatever we've asked of him, just getting in there and really having high-quality reps throughout.
"Whether it's from a learning standpoint or a performance standpoint."
The Vikings have two more preseason games remaining, their Saturday contest against the Browns and a matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday, August 24.
They open their season on Sunday, September 8 against the New York Giants.
McCarthy won't be ready to play for the start of the season, and Darnold will likely take over as the starting quarterback until McCarthy can play.
There is no official timetable on when McCarthy could return to play. If he gets a trim procedure he would only miss a few weeks.
If McCarthy gets a full meniscus repair he would miss multiple months.
The Vikings picked McCarthy with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft with the expectation of him growing into the starting role this year.
McCarthy won the College Football National Championship with Michigan in 2023, vaulting him up draft boards.
He never produced flashy numbers in college, but he played mostly mistake-free football which helped Michigan's offense thrive.
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NFL important dates
August 1 - Hall of Fame Game - Houston Texans vs Chicago Bears
August 8 - Pre-season begins
August 27 - Deadline for 53-man rosters
September 1 - Final day of pre-season
September 5 - Season opener - Baltimore Ravens vs Kansas City Chiefs
November 5 - Trade deadline
January 5 - Week 18 of regular-season
January 11 - Playoffs begin
February 9 - Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana
In 2023, McCarthy threw for 2,991 yards with 22 touchdowns and only four interceptions.
In his two years as a starter, McCarthy threw for 5,710 yards and 44 touchdowns with only nine interceptions.
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