The current state of the quarterback position for the Minnesota Vikings is excellent. Former first-round pick Sam Darnold has found new life with the Vikings, and he’s making the most of the opportunity.
The future state of the quarterback position, while a bit more unstable at the moment, also happens to be bright, assuming the rehab and return to action for J.J. McCarthy goes as planned.
Here’s the latest on McCarthy, his knee injury, and his prospects for returning in 2025.
What Is J.J. McCarthy’s Injury?
What initially looked like a minor injury turned into a major story for McCarthy and the Vikings.
McCarthy exited his preseason debut back on Aug. 10 looking no worse for the wear. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards with touchdowns and one interception before giving way to Jaren Hall. In the days after, though, the rookie quarterback experienced discomfort in his knee, which resulted in him missing the next training camp practice and not making the trip to Cleveland for joint practices and a preseason game against the Browns.
In the end, McCarthy underwent a procedure to completely repair the meniscus in his right knee. The surgery and associated recovery timeline forced the Vikings to place McCarthy on season-ending injured reserve.
When Will J.J. McCarthy Return From Injury?
The return timeline from the type of surgery McCarthy underwent is 6-8 months, which forced the Vikings’ hand as it related to season-ending injured reserve versus short-term injured reserve. It worked out for the best, as a subsequent development in McCarthy’s timeline may have caused a delay in any chance of a short-term return.
McCarthy was experiencing swelling in the knee during rehab. In response to the swelling, McCarthy underwent a nonsurgical procedure. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed the news of the additional procedure during a weekly press conference and made it clear McCarthy’s prognosis for a full recovery and associated timeline remain unchanged.
The next time McCarthy will be on the field with his teammates in an organized Vikings activity will be when the 2025 offseason program commences next April 21 (that is the date teams with returning head coaches are permitted to begin their offseason program).
How Does J.J. McCarthy’s Injury Impact the Vikings?
From a short-term perspective, McCarthy’s injury ensured the starting job coming out of training camp would be Sam Darnold’s. The Vikings signed Darnold last offseason to a one-year, $10 million contract thinking he would compete with McCarthy to start and either be a bridge to the rookie or be a quality veteran backup to him.
Instead, Darnold has taken the job and made the most of the opportunity.
The Vikings began the season 5-0, and in that stretch, Darnold threw 11 touchdowns compared to just four interceptions, averaged 8.1 yards per attempt, and had a passer rating of 103.4.
Since the impressive stretch, Darnold’s individual numbers have fluctuated, but O’Connell has constantly expressed praise and confidence in the quarterback. Darnold’s last two outings have been his best of the season, as the veteran has helped lead the team to road wins over both the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears and has played nearly mistake-free football in doing so.
From a long-term perspective, the McCarthy injury and Darnold’s overwhelmingly positive play in response to it creates an interesting offseason storyline for the Vikings. The franchise has made it clear McCarthy is their future, but Darnold has made it clear he can help an NFL team in the present.
Another complicating factor could be the presence of another former first-round pick, Daniel Jones, on the market. The New York Giants recently released Jones, and now the Vikings are rumored to be among the teams interested in signing Jones.
Should the Vikings and Jones agree to a contract, the team would be faced with multiple decisions at the position centered around the best way to supplement the quarterback position until and after McCarthy rehabs and returns from his knee injury.