Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday at the start of Minnesota's voluntary OTAs that McCarthy (knee) will participate in "full" with "no limitations," Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports. The 2024 first-round pick missed his entire rookie campaign due to a torn meniscus suffered just after his preseason debut, but after having resumed on-field work in January, O'Connell said McCarthy is now "ready to hit the ground running" with no training limitations, per Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune. Despite McCarthy not being able to log any action as a rookie, Minnesota's confidence in the young-signal caller was high enough for the team to allow Sam Darnold to sign with Seattle after a career year, leaving the 2024 10th overall pick in clear position to enter Year 2 as a starter. With an elite top trio of pass-catchers at his disposal in the form of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson, plus an O-line recently bolstered by offseason signings Ryan Kelly and Will Fries (lower leg), McCarthy has all the surrounding support necessary to start his tenure in the No. 1 seat strong.
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Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday at the start of Minnesota's voluntary OTAs that McCarthy (knee) will participate in "full" with "no limitations," Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports. The 2024 first-round pick missed his entire rookie campaign due to a torn meniscus suffered just after his preseason debut, but after having resumed on-field work in January, O'Connell said McCarthy is now "ready to hit the ground running" with no training limitations, per Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune. Despite McCarthy not being able to log any action as a rookie, Minnesota's confidence in the young-signal caller was high enough for the team to allow Sam Darnold to sign with Seattle after a career year, leaving the 2024 10th overall pick in clear position to enter Year 2 as a starter. With an elite top trio of pass-catchers at his disposal in the form of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson, plus an O-line recently bolstered by offseason signings Ryan Kelly and Will Fries (lower leg), McCarthy has all the surrounding support necessary to start his tenure in the No. 1 seat strong.
The Vikings have rejected multiple trade calls on McCarthy (knee) this offseason and aren't pursuing Aaron Rodgers in free agency, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Minnesota is still expected to sign a veteran quarterback after losing Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens last week, but it won't be someone that represents a serious threat to take the starting job from McCarthy. The 10th overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft appeared be pressing Darnold for the starting gig last summer after throwing for 188 yards and two touchdowns in his preseason debut, only to be diagnosed with a torn meniscus a few days later. McCarthy had season-ending surgery in mid-August and didn't resume on-field work until the winter, but he should be back to full strength well before training camp. It isn't yet clear if he'll have any limitations during spring practices.
McCarthy (knee) is positioned as Minnesota's starting quarterback after Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones left in free agency, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The Vikings may still bring in a veteran quarterback, but anyone they acquire at this point likely would just be a backup. Reports suggest the Vikings had interest in retaining Darnold or Jones but ultimately weren't wiling to pay as much as other teams. That can be taken as at least a small sign of confidence in McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie season with a meniscus tear after playing well in his lone preseason appearance. The 10th overall pick from last year's draft resumed on-field work this winter and should be ready to practice before training camp.
Coach Kevin O'Connell said Thursday that McCarthy (knee) has resumed on-field work and is "right where we hoped he would be" in advance of the offseason, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports. The Vikings drafted McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in last year's draft, likely with the expectation that he would see game action during his rookie campaign. He in fact experienced live action football, but a promising pro debut in the preseason on Aug. 10 was followed by news a few days later that he tore the meniscus in his right knee and was out for the season. McCarthy thus spent the year on injured reserve, while watching journeyman Sam Darnold have a career season. Darnold will be an unrestricted free agent in March, so Minnesota could use the franchise tag on him or figure out some sort of multi-year deal, either of which could impact McCarthy's ability to vault into the No. 1 spot on the QB depth chart. Nevertheless, for the time being, McCarthy will focus on the later stages of his recovery effort.
McCarthy underwent a procedure on his right knee this week after an increase in his rehab work caused some swelling, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports. In the wake of a successful preseason debut back on Aug. 10, McCarthy reported soreness in his right knee, and he eventually was diagnosed with a torn meniscus, which required surgery Aug. 14. Considering he was placed on injured reserve before Week 1, the rookie first-round pick isn't eligible to play this season, so getting him healthy will be a priority for the Vikings as he heads into his first full offseason. In the meantime, the Vikings will continue to entrust the offense to quarterback Sam Darnold.
The Vikings placed McCarthy (knee) on injured reserve Friday. Minnesota signed quarterback Matt Corral in a corresponding transaction. Head coach Kevin O'Connell had already ruled McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in April's draft, out for the season, so his official placement on injured reserve was expected. McCarthy will turn his attention to making a recovery from surgery undergone Wednesday to make a full repair of the meniscus in his right knee, while the Vikings turn to Sam Darnold as the Week 1 starter. Corral joins Nick Mullens and second-year quarterback Jaren Hall behind Darnold on the depth chart.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell announced that McCarthy underwent season-ending surgery Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. There was some hope the rookie No. 10 overall pick would only need his meniscus trimmed, an operation that would've allowed him to return in 2024. Instead, surgeons ended up doing a full repair of the meniscus, likely leaving McCarthy with a recovery timeline of 4-to-6 months. With McCarthy's rookie season now completely wiped out, Sam Darnold is set to start Week 1 for the Vikings and potentially hold on the top spot on the depth chart throughout the season. Minnesota could look to upgrade its depth at the position behind Darnold, with journeyman Nick Mullens and second-year quarterback Jaren Hall currently ranking as the Nos. 2 and 3 options, respectively.
McCarthy (knee) has a tear in his meniscus in his right knee and the severity of the injury will be determined once he undergoes surgery, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. McCarthy is set to miss extended time, but an exact timetable "will be something determined during the procedure," according to head coach Kevin O'Connell. If the quarterback is dealing with a small tear, he may be able to address it with a cleanup surgery, but a full repair would mean a longer recovery, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. O'Connell also added that the team will ultimately do "what's best for the long-term health of J.J."
McCarthy (knee) is expected to undergo knee surgery to address a meniscus issue after having an MRI on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. McCarthy reported knee soreness over the weekend, and the MRI he underwent Monday revealed an issue serious enough to require surgery. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that McCarthy will require either a meniscus trim, which would require a 4-to-6 week recovery, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, or a repair which could sideline the rookie quarterback multiple months. Even if McCarthy is able to receive the quicker recovery timeline, Sam Darnold now faces a clear path to the Week 1 starting gig for Minnesota.