BEREA, Ohio — Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy will miss the season after undergoing surgery on his right knee.
McCarthy underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus he suffered sometime during his season debut last weekend against Las Vegas. The former Michigan star had a solid training camp and was expected to back up starter Sam Darnold.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell delivered the news about McCarthy Shortly thereafter, the team arrived for two days of joint training with the Browns.
O’Connell said McCarthy, who was selected 10th in the NFL Draft after leading the Wolverines to the national title, has checked all the boxes over the past few months. He said the team is excited about McCarthy’s future.
“He confirmed a lot of things that not only I, but a lot of others and JJ himself needed to confirm,” O’Connell said. “He did that. Now he just needs to go through this process so that when his time comes, he’s healthy and can take the reins of this thing.”
McCarthy completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards with two touchdowns and one interception against the Raiders. The 21-year-old told the team that his knee was sore after the game and that the meniscus tear had been diagnosed through imaging tests.
The Vikings initially thought McCarthy would only be out for a month.
Nick Mullens will be Minnesota’s second quarterback.
“We know we can rely on him and he’s just a stone’s throw away,” O’Connell said.
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