MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has a torn meniscus in his right knee that will require surgery, derailing the rookie’s preseason progress and putting his status for the regular season in question.
Coach Kevin O’Connell announced the diagnosis Tuesday. McCarthy was hurt at some point Saturday during his exhibition game debut, when he went 11 for 17 for 188 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against Las Vegas. McCarthy reported persistent soreness to the team when players reconvened Monday, and the 10th overall pick in the draft out of national champion Michigan was sent for further examination.
The Vikings had not yet determined a date for the procedure or learned how long the 21-year-old will need to recover, meaning McCarthy could be back in about a month or, worst case, miss the entire season.
“We felt strongly about where he was at in his development process, so really you hurt for him just 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,” O’Connell said. “I think all of us will be staying optimistic that it hopefully is the shorter term.”
The rehabilitation for a full repair is much longer than if there’s just a partial tear and only a trim is needed, but the severity is typically not known until the procedure takes place.