Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy posted an emotional message on his Instagram page following the news that he’ll miss his entire rookie year recovering from knee surgery.
On Wednesday, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that JJ McCarthy underwent surgery on a torn meniscus in his right knee. As a result of the procedure, McCarthy will be sidelined for his entire rookie year.
It’s a tough break for the Vikings and the highly-touted rookie signal-caller. There was plenty of hype around McCarthy’s arrival on a Minnesota club that watched Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins leave for the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.
JJ McCarthy took to Instagram to break his silence on the heartbreaking development. He posted several photos on his account with a quote from Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius that reads, “A blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it.”
The Vikings traded up one spot via the New York Jets to select McCarthy with the No. 10 pick. He was the fifth QB selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, behind Caleb Williams (first overall to the Chicago Bears), Jayden Daniels (second to the Washington Commanders), Drake Maye (third to the New England Patriots) and Michael Penix Jr. (eighth to the Atlanta Falcons).
In his final season of college football, McCarthy helped the Michigan Wolverines to a national championship victory over the Washington Huskies.
Vikings Need A Career Year From Sam Darnold With JJ McCarthy Sidelined
With JJ McCarthy out for the entire season, free agent pickup and veteran Sam Darnold will open the season as Minny’s starter. Their season begins on Sept. 8 with a road contest against the New York Giants.
Darnold’s career has been nothing short of a disappointment up to this point. The No. 3 pick of the 2018 NFL Draft spent last season as Brock Purdy’s backup in San Francisco following underwhelming stints with the New York Jets (2018 to 2020) and Carolina Panthers (2021 to 2022).
