Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Undergoes 2nd Surgery After Setback

Getty Quarterback J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a setback in his recovery from a torn meniscus and required additional surgery on his knee, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported on Wednesday, November 13.

“Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy had a 2nd surgery on his right knee this week to address swelling that developed after an uptick in rehab activity, per source,” Seifert wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “As part of the procedure, he was given a biologic injection. No changes to recovery timetable.”

McCarthy had the cast taken off his league last month and joined the Vikings on the sideline for the first time in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams.

While his physical recovery remains a work in progress, McCarthy has used his rookie year to develop mentally, sitting in on quarterback meetings and having one-on-one meetings with head coach Kevin O’Connell, according to  Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

O’Connell addressed McCarthy’s surgery in his Wednesday news conference.

As his rehab picked up we noticed some swelling… just wanted to make sure there was no cause for concern,” O’Connell said. “All reports were very positive. He’s on the original timeline and in good shape.”

Kevin O’Connell Calls J.J. McCarthy Vikings’ Franchise QB

GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings.

While McCarthy is unproven outside the Vikings organization, O’Connell’s staff has evaluated him for over two years and have watched him take hundreds of reps during the 2024 offseason.

McCarthy left a strong impression.

After McCarthy underwent season-ending meniscus surgery in August, O’Connell dubbed him the Vikings’ franchise quarterback.

“Everyone should be excited that we got our young franchise quarterback in the building,” O’Connell said on August 14. “Now, it’s about continuing the [mental] development. There is no question in my mind the physical talent J.J. has. He really started to look like an NFL quarterback.”

Vikings QB Situation With Sam Darnold Remains in the Air

GettyQuarterbacks J.J. McCarthy #9 and Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings.

O’Connell maintained that McCarthy is on his original recovery timeline, but until he is deemed ready to go, the Vikings do not have a starting quarterback for the 2025 season.

Sam Darnold is playing on an expiring contract and is expected to garner plenty of interest in free agency.

However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler didn’t discount the possibility of the Vikings reaching a “bridge deal” to keep Darnold around beyond this season.

“Darnold and Minnesota are 7-2 together, so entertaining a bridge deal while the team continues to develop McCarthy behind the scenes shouldn’t be completely off the table,” Fowler wrote, ranking Darnold as the No. 8 free agent of the 2025 offseason.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano rebuked that possibility considering the Vikings would likely not play McCarthy until the third year of his rookie deal due to his fifth-year option being due before he would ever see the field as a starter.

“Never say never. But waiting until Year 3 to play your rookie QB is a tough way to go… My understanding is the Vikings were planning to open 2024 season with Darnold as the starter even if McCarthy were healthy, but that they expected to transition to McCarthy as the season went along,” Graziano wrote in a separate piece. “Bringing back Darnold and rerunning the original 2024 plan could do more harm than good to McCarthy’s development at that point.”