The Minnesota Vikings invested their first-round pick in J.J. McCarthy at the draft last year. However, McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury during the preseason and remained sidelined for his whole rookie campaign.
While Darnold exceeded expectations in 2024, leading the Vikings to a 14-win season, McCarthy is expected to return as the starting QB if he recovers on time. However, the rookie recently said he was ahead of his recovery schedule.
J.J. McCarthy Says He Is Ahead of Recovery Schedule
McCarthy suffered his injury during his preseason debut against the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 10 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Darnold started the game and played one series, giving way to McCarthy to handle the rest of the first quarter and second and third quarters.
While it’s still unclear when McCarthy injured his knee, he missed the Vikings’ night practice two days after the Raiders game.
Then, the team announced that he would undergo a procedure to determine why he was experiencing discomfort in his right knee.
The exploratory surgery became a season-ending meniscus repair, which landed McCarthy on the injured reserve. The recovery timeline for this surgery is typically six to eight months, which is why the rookie ended up on season-ending injured reserve rather than short-term injured reserve.
In November, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell revealed that McCarthy underwent a second surgery on his knee due to swelling. However, he stressed that even after a second procedure and biological injection, McCarthy’s timeline to return remained the same.
However, in a recent appearance on “The Purple Persuasion Show,” McCarthy said he was ahead of schedule and would be ready for OTAs this spring.
“It’s going amazing. We are ahead of schedule, on track, whatever you want to call it. But it’s going good, and we’ll be ready in around 67 days for OTAs and yeah, we’re running, throwing. Everything feels great.”
Again, @Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy, HIMSELF, has already confirmed he’s “ahead of schedule” and will be ready for OTAs this Spring.
🎥: @SInow https://t.co/Yu3Kf6hzl4 pic.twitter.com/HE0XhvFUR5
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) February 16, 2025
McCarthy had shown shades of brilliance during the preseason game against the Raiders, completing 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and one pick.
But Darnold thrived in his absence and put together the best year of his career, throwing for 4,319 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions with a 102.5 passer rating. His performance earned him a Pro Bowl selection, and while he is set to enter free agency, the Vikings are reportedly considering the franchise tag.
It will be interesting to see how Minnesota proceeds regarding their starting quarterback position.