J.J. McCarthy’s rookie season with the Minnesota Vikings has come to an end.
The former Michigan quarterback and first-round draft pick will not play this season after having surgery to fix a torn meniscus in his right knee. He got the injury during his preseason debut against Las Vegas.
McCarthy had the surgery on Wednesday, having hurt his knee at some point during the game. He had been performing well in training camp and was competing with starter Sam Darnold, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings in March.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell shared the news about McCarthy right after the team arrived for joint practices with the Browns.
Losing McCarthy is a big blow for a team hoping to start fresh after parting ways with Kirk Cousins.
Although some questioned Minnesota’s decision to pick McCarthy 10th overall, he had shown he was a promising choice. Last season, he led Michigan to a national title.
O’Connell said, “I really believe that J.J. has kind of confirmed to me and a lot of our coaches and players that we got the right guy in the building for the future.” He added that it’s tough news because it would have been exciting to see McCarthy develop day by day.
McCarthy performed well in a win over the Raiders, completing 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. After the game, he reported knee soreness, and tests later confirmed the meniscus tear. Initially, the Vikings hoped McCarthy might miss only a month, but they had to wait for the surgery results to be sure.
