The Minnesota Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy as the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The 21-year-old was slated to be Minnesota’s starting quarterback and usher in the next era of Vikings football. As Minnesota gears up for the postseason, it would not have foreseen the rookie sidelined for this high-stakes fixture.
Sam Darnold took the reins for the 2024 regular season, throwing for 4,153 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while rushing for 202 yards and a score. The veteran quarterback earned his first Pro Bowl selection as the Vikings finished the season with a 14-3 record.
McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury during the preseason, allowing Darnold to revive his career. Let’s take a look at what happened to McCarthy, his timeline to return, and the tough decision Minnesota’s front office will have to make this offseason.
What Is J.J. McCarthy’s Injury?
McCarthy threw for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns, and four interceptions in his final year with the Michigan Wolverines. The Vikings were hoping to find a franchise quarterback in the first round but McCarthy’s season came to an abrupt end before it could begin.
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 much of the game.
McCarthy threw an interception on his third attempt, but he ultimately completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
McCarthy demonstrated poise and athleticism by moving around in the pocket and scrambling twice for 18 yards, helping him avoid sacks.
Unfortunately, McCarthy’s season-ending injury overshadowed his on-field production. It’s still unclear when exactly he injured his knee. Two days after the game, McCarthy missed the Vikings’ night practice. 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 injured reserve.
When Will McCarthy Return to the Field?
The recovery timeline for this surgery is typically 6-8 months, which is why the rookie ended up on ice for the season, rather than making a midseason cameo.
In November, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell revealed that McCarthy underwent a second surgery on his knee due to swelling.
However, O’Connell stressed that even after a second procedure and biological injection, McCarthy’s timeline to return remained the same.
The hope is that McCarthy will be healthy and ready to take the field alongside his teammates when the 2025 offseason program commences in April — whether or not Darnold is alongside him.
Will Minnesota Part Ways With J.J. McCarthy?
ESPN’s Adam Scheffer has speculated that Minnesota may be in the market to trade McCarthy, while ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said that people around the NFL believe the Vikings will keep Darnold (as long as he isn’t looking to be a top-10 highest-paid quarterback). Darnold finished the regular season as the league’s 12th-best quarterback by PFN’s QB+ metric, complicating the Vikings’ decision.
Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd also thinks McCarthy may be traded. In fact, he believes those talks have already started.
“Of course they are. He’s talented, and it’s a terrible quarterback draft, and seven teams need a quarterback,” Cowherd said, reacting to Schefter’s report about teams likely calling the Vikings.
“This is something to remember. Why did the Minnesota Vikings in November bring in Daniel Jones? Why? Because maybe they were ahead of us.”
One team he thinks may be in the market for McCarthy could be the Seattle Seahawks.
“The Vikings don’t have a second-, third-, or fourth-round pick. It’s a terrible quarterback class. Seattle, you think they’re going to go back with Geno Smith again? They could get J.J. McCarthy for a second and a fourth, maybe a second, fourth and fifth,” Cowherd said. “The Vikings get their draft picks. They’re franchise-tagging, at minimum, Sam Darnold.
“Kevin O’Connell liked Sam Darnold before he was a Viking. Kyle Shanahan liked Darnold before he was [with the San Francisco 49ers]. Now he’s putting up an MVP season, they’ve made a decision: ‘We like Darnold, we’re not letting him go.’ Why did they bring in Daniel Jones? Because they wanted to get him into the system, ready to play for a playoff game. In my take, they’ll rehab Daniel Jones like they rehabbed Sam Darnold.”
If the Vikings do slap the franchise tag on Darnold or give him a multi-year deal, it increases the likelihood of a McCarthy blockbuster. Given Minnesota’s initial investment and the dead cap on McCarthy’s deal, though, it remains more of a lofty hypothetical than a solid solution to the conflict under center.