Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy will miss the rest of the season after undergoing knee surgery, the team announced Wednesday.
McCarthy tore the meniscus in his right knee during the Vikings’ preseason opener, a 24-23 win against the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday. McCarthy played 30 snaps and threw a touchdown pass on the final play of the game.
Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell said Tuesday that doctors will determine during surgery whether McCarthy needs a meniscus removal, which would allow him to return this season, or a full repair, which would keep him out until 2025.
McCarthy, 21, was the 10th overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. He spent three years at Michigan, leading the team to a national championship game last season with a 27-1 record.
Minnesota drafted McCarthy after not re-signing Kirk Cousins after six years with the team this offseason. McCarthy is the first quarterback Minnesota has selected in the first round since Teddy Bridgewater in 2014.
Sam Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft, is expected to be the Vikings’ starter in McCarthy’s absence.
“Sam has had a really good camp and my confidence level in him is really high at this point,” O’Connell said this week. “I’m really looking forward to Sam’s continued growth and success offensively and I know his teammates and the rest of the coaching staff are really excited about what he’s doing.”
