Kevin O’Connell says the quiet part out loud about JJ McCarthy’s concerning injury

The Minnesota Vikings secured their first preseason win since 2019 with a 24-23 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, and the team seemed giddy about their future after the game.

Minnesota is ushering in a new era of Vikings football after the team brass opted to move on from veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency. The preseason opener gave the Vikings their first peek at their future quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, who the Vikings selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Michigan product was impressive in his first game at the professional level. McCarthy completed 11-of-17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. McCarthy’s turnover came on his third pass of the game, when the Raiders penetrated the pocket and forced him into making a poor decision. After that, the rookie was nearly perfect.

The Vikings were jovial about their rookie quarterback’s performance. Then, disaster struck. 

Kevin O’Connell seems to suggests worst-case scenario for J.J. McCarthy

McCarthy missed practice on Monday after he came into the facility with soreness in his right knee, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell later told reporters that tests revealed McCarthy underwent tests and would require surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee.

The extent of the damage will be determined during the surgery. If McCarthy needs a trim of his meniscus, he could return later this season. A full repair of the meniscus would sideline him for the remainder of the 2024 season. When asked about McCarthy’s outlook, O’Connell left the decision in the hands of the medical professionals. 

"That's totally, totally a medical decision," O'Connell said. "Certainly, what's best for the long-term health of J.J. McCarthy will be the priority. I don't have that answer and really won't be a part of determining that answer. ... I have total complete trust in our medical staff and also the people that will be performing the procedure."

These are the harsh realities of the NFL. A team can be on top of the world one night and wake up at the bottom of the barrel by the next morning.

McCarthy wasn’t expected to start this season. Minnesota signed veteran quarterback Sam Darnold to a one-year, $10 million contract during free agency. Darnold was expected to serve as a stopgap quarterback while McCarthy developed in a backup role. 

There was hope that McCarthy could be ready to take over the reigns sometime later this season, and those hopes reached a fever pitch following the rookie’s preseason performance. After the injury update, it seems unlikely that McCarthy sees the field this season.

Even if he was expected to serve in a backup role throughout the entirety of the season, McCarthy will now miss valuable time he would have spent developing behind Darnold. Instead, he’ll have to use that time to go through rehab and physical therapy just to get back to the stage he’s at now.

McCarthy has a long road ahead of him before he sees the field for the Vikings, and Minnesota’s championship hopes may just have been delayed a bit longer.