Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy is set to undergo surgery due to a knee injury. The severity of his injury is not yet known.
Knees must be shaking in Minnesota. And so must rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy. The 21-year-old missed the Vikings' final practice due to soreness in his right knee, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Tests revealed a torn meniscus that requires surgery, according to NFL Network.
“As a precaution, we're going to continue to evaluate him and do some additional testing,” coach Kevin O'Connell said at a news conference. “He's obviously a very important player. So we want to take every precaution to make sure we know what he has.”
The severity of the injury is not yet known.
An absence of a few weeks… or several months
The question of his unavailability therefore remains unresolved. According to NFL Network, most meniscus surgeries result in two hypotheses depending on the severity. An incision or a total repair. An incision would keep McCarthy out for a few weeks. A repair, at least several months.
The young quarterback is just coming off his very first preseason game. Prolific, he completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. While he remains number 2 in the quarterback hierarchy, behind Sam Darnold, JJ McCarthy is destined to become Minneapolis' starting quarterback. His absence would be a real blow. Especially since the team must also count on the unavailability of tight end TJ Hockenson. He is still recovering from his painful torn ACL last season.
