Vikings: J.J. McCarthy Quotes Roman Emperor Amid History-Making Injury

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

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s rookie season is over, ended by a torn meniscus suffered in the win over the Las Vegas Raiders and the surgery to repair it.

It is a historically significant injury, which is appropriate because McCarthy borrowed his latest inspirational quote from Roman emperor and stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius Antonius in a new Instagram post.

“‘A blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it.’ ~ Marcus Aurelius #AMORFATI” McCarthy posted on Instagram on August 14.

The quote is an excerpt from a passage from the 10th book of Aurelius’ “Meditations.”

Aurelius poses the existential question of man’s purpose in life. Even the bit McCarthy shared is part of a longer thought that urges the reader to push on despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles just as one would in times of great success.

“What matter and opportunity [for thy activity] art thou avoiding?” Aurelius wrote. “For what else are all these things, except exercises for the reason, when it has viewed carefully and by examination into their nature the things which happen in life? Persevere then until thou shalt have made these things thy own, as the stomach which is strengthened makes all things its own, as the blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it.”

According to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, the writings “probably” originated while Aurelius was on a campaign in Central Europe from 171-175 AD.

McCarthy has leaned into Stoicism in his trying time.

Oxford Languages defines stoicism as, “the endurance of pain or hardship without the display of feelings and without complaint.” McCarthy also included the phrase, “amor fati” in a post on X following his initial prognosis. It is Latin for “love of fate.”

J.J.McCarthy Earns Dubious Place in NFL History Books

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

McCarthy’s first official campaign with the Vikings will have to wait, which earns him a rather dubious honor. McCarthy will hardly be the first quarterback to not play in his rookie season.

“McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick of the April draft, will be the fourth first-round quarterback in this century who did not play in a regular-season game as a rookie, joining Green Bay‘s Jordan Love (2020), Washington‘s Jason Campbell (2005) and Cincinnati‘s Carson Palmer (2003),” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote on August 14.

There is one key difference between McCarthy and those quarterbacks, though.

“J.J. McCarthy is the 1st QB drafted in the 1st round in the common draft era (since 1967) to miss his entire rookie season due to injury,” CBS Sports’ Doug Clauson reported on X on August 14.

McCarthy’s absence elicited memories of previous catastrophes in the Vikings’ storied history. Among them are the career and franchise-altering injuries to Daunte Culpepper and Teddy Bridgwater.

Kevin O’Connell: Vikings Have ‘Right Guy’ in J.J. McCarthy

GettyHead coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.

McCarthy’s promising first showing only adds to the potential impact of the situation. It leaves Sam Darnold as the unquestioned starter with Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall backing him up.

But Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell believes they have the right person in McCarthy.

“The transformation of a really, really good player. Had really started to really look like an NFL quarterback. And just the work he puts in and the commitment to every aspect of the organic way he’s learning how to play quarterback in the National Football League,” O’Connell told reporters on August 14.

“I meant what I said: no ceiling, no floor. I really believe that J.J. has kind of confirmed to me and a lot of our coaches and players that we got the right guy in the building for the future, and he did it in a short amount of time. So it’s what makes this news hard because just how exciting it would have been. [The] daily, minute-to-minute process moving forward. But I think that optimism should be felt um by anybody in our building and, hopefully, our fans.”

O’Connell said he was “crushed” for McCarthy, just as he was when the Vikings lost tight end T.J. Hockenson to a torn ACL in Week 17 in 2023.