After an impressive preseason debut, Vikings quarterback and Michigan product J.J. McCarthy is facing a potentially lengthy absence. McCarthy is undergoing surgery on a torn right meniscus and could be out for months.
The duration of McCarthy's absence will depend on the extent of the knee procedure, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters Tuesday. If it's just a cleanup, McCarthy could be back in a matter of weeks. If it requires a full repair, he would miss several months.
McCarthy suffered the injury in his preseason debut last Saturday against the Raiders when he completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, but played through it to finish his final drive. He sat out practice Monday, after which tests revealed the meniscus tear.
"I credit J.J. for obviously being able to continue to play," O'Connell said on Tuesday. "He did not come out of the game from the injury and finished his night with his second touchdown pass. At that point, he had reached the snap count I was hoping to get him through the game and he was taken out, but at no time did he think it was something that would take him out of the game and not allow him to play."
McCarthy took to X on Tuesday to tell Vikings fans that he'll "be back in no time." Regardless of the length of his absence, it's an obvious setback for the tenth overall pick.
"I had a very clear-cut plan and was going to continue through that with J.J. on the field, getting more and more reps coming off a performance where we felt strongly about where he was at in his development process," O'Connell said. "You hurt for him in the short term here because he had such a daily process, focus, all those things that I was really looking for in a young player at the position.
"First and foremost, we will get this procedure done and make sure that we're doing the right things for him to have the best possible recovery when that takes place."
The Vikings were always expecting to roll with veteran Sam Darnold as QB1 in Week 1. This will delay McCarthy's takeover, if it happens at all this season.