Don’t Call it a Setback: Additional Knee Procedure Required for Vikings Rookie JJ McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings have stunned a lot of people this season with their 7-2 record, even their own fans. A huge reason for their success has been the performance of quarterback Sam Darnold, who’s turned heads around the league and helped drive the team to this impressive start.

No one really knew what to expect from the Vikings this season. Especially after they took JJ McCarthy in the first round. All through camp, it was a heated QB competition, but McCarthy’s season was cut short by a preseason-ending injury, leaving Sam Darnold to step up as the undisputed QB1.

Minnesota Vikings QB JJ McCarthy has unexpected second surgery

In August, JJ McCarthy underwent surgery to fix a torn meniscus that took him out for the entire season. Since then, he’s hit rehab hard, determined to be back on the field for the 2025 season.

Out of nowhere, the Vikings announced today that McCarthy underwent a second surgery. This was to tackle some swelling that popped up after he ramped up his rehab efforts.

NEWS: Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy had a 2nd surgery on his right knee this week to address swelling that developed after an uptick in rehab activity, per source. As part of the procedure, he was given a biologic injection. No changes to recovery timetable.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) November 13, 2024

Ben Goessling from the StarTribune clarified that it wasn’t a second surgery, it was just an injection. So, there’s definitely some variation in reports about what kind of procedure he actually had, which is worth noting.

Minnesota Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell remains optimistic

At first, this might seem like a big issue, considering it wasn’t supposed to go down like this. But head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke to the media and assured everyone that McCarthy is still on track with his original recovery timeline, and this doesn’t change his expected return date.

Coach O'Connell gives an update on J.J. McCarthy pic.twitter.com/75auY0NCZ8

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 13, 2024

He’s really knocked it out of the park every step of the way. As his rehab has progressed, we noticed a little swelling, but with the time we have, he’s been doing everything we’ve asked of him. We just wanted to make sure there was no cause for concern, and all reports have been very positive.

He’s on the original timeline and in good shape. I’ve really enjoyed watching his rehab progress, as he’s been able to join meetings and spend more time with us. It’s been great for his growth, and he continues to ask great questions every day.

The hardest part is when you get to do a little more and start pushing through the final stages over the next few weeks. We feel really good about where he’s at.

Kevin O’Connell

Is O’Connell being a little too optimistic here? It’s possible. Having to go through a second surgery when you only needed one isn’t ideal. It’ll be interesting to see how McCarthy progresses and if he stays on track with the timeline he’s been given.

Related: Where Does Vikings QB Sam Darnold Rank Among 2025 NFL Free Agents?

JJ McCarthy’s original timeline was to be fully ready for the start of the 2025 season, but now we’ll have to see how things develop for him over the next few months.

The Vikings now have a few paths they could take when looking ahead to next year, and one option on the table is re-signing QB Sam Darnold once his contract wraps up after this season. If the team has doubts about McCarthy’s progress, this move could make sense.

But honestly, it’s still too early to say what they’ll decide. That said, O’Connell sounded positive about McCarthy today, keeping his optimistic outlook going.