J.J. McCarthy injury update: How long will the Vikings rookie QB be out?

On Saturday, Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy made his NFL debut when the Vikings played the Las Vegas Raiders in their preseason opener and he impressed. He went 11-of-17 passing for 188 yards and two touchdowns to one interception plus two carries for 18 yards. Unfortunately, that great news was followed by incredibly bad news.

McCarthy missed the VIkings’ annual night practice on Tuesday after it was revealed that he suffered a knee injury during the preseason game.

What injury does McCarthy have and how long will he be out?

As it turns out, McCarthy suffered from a torn meniscus in the knee and will need to undergo surgery. As for how long he’ll be out - it depends.

During the surgery, the doctors will make a decision on whether the meniscus just needs a trim or if it needs a total repair. The former would mean about three to five weeks recovery time, meaning McCarthy would only have to miss a week or two of the regular season. The latter would require months of recovery and keep him out for the remainder of the season.

“First and foremost, we’ll get this procedure done, we’ll make sure that we’re doing the right things for him to have the best possible recovery,” said Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. “Obviously, we didn’t want J.J. to get injured, but we don’t know the severity yet. We’re hopefully having a shorter timeline than a longer timeline. ... I think all of us will be staying optimistic.”

A few examples of athletes who’ve undergone this type of surgery are Karl-Anthony Towns of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and former Vikings tight end Irv Smith Jr. Towns had the short-term procedure done this year and was able to play again in just one month. Smith had the full repair back in 2021 and missed the entire NFL season.

The most important thing to consider when deciding on which option is best for McCarthy is which one will be best for his overall health in the long-term. The short-term option, which involves removing part of the meniscus, comes with the potential risk of future issues down the road. The long-term option will force McCarthy to miss his entire rookie season just after a stellar debut, but may be the best option for his long-term future in the league. There has been no news of when the surgery will happen, but it’s likely as soon as possible.

Who will start as the Vikings quarterback?

Until McCarthy is back, Sam Darnold is set to be the starter for the Vikings. Darnold signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings in March after playing last season as 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy’s backup.

Since he started his NFL career in 2018, Darnold has started 56 games for the Jets, Panthers, and Niners and made 63 touchdown passes to 56 interceptions.

“Sam’s had a really good camp, and my confidence level in Sam is very, very high at this point,” O’Connell said. “I’m looking forward to seeing him continue his progression that we’ve had for him throughout the early part of camp into that first preseason game. … I’m really looking forward to Sam’s continued growth, success in the offense. And I know his teammates and the rest of the coaching staff have been really enthused by what Sam’s done.”