Former Wolverine McCarthy to miss rookie season after knee surgery
By Matt Jaworowski,
2024-08-14
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — It will not be the rookie season that J.J. McCarthy envisioned. The Minnesota Vikings announced Wednesday that the young quarterback has undergone knee surgery and will miss the upcoming season.
The Vikings drafted the Michigan Wolverine with the 10th overall pick in April. According to ESPN , McCarthy didn’t report any issues until Monday when he told team officials about knee soreness.
The team confirmed Tuesday that McCarthy suffered an injury during his preseason debut on Saturday, a 24-23 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Only after surgery would the team know whether the meniscus required a trim or a full repair, requiring a longer recovery.
Surgery conducted Wednesday morning appears to have shown just that.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell provided an update to the media Wednesday afternoon saying he was “crushed” by the news.
“It was a successful procedure, but it did reveal that a repair was necessary, which will end J.J.’s 2024 season,” O’Connell said.
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterback J.J. McCarthy celebrate with the trophy after their win against Washington in the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, in Houston. (AP file)
The quarterback responded to the news on social media shortly after it broke, saying, “Love you Viking nation. I’ll be back in no time. Amor fati.” Amor fati is a latin phrase that is often translated to mean “love of one’s fate.”
McCarthy was expected to compete for the job with NFL veteran Sam Darnold, who signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Vikings after spending last season as a backup with San Francisco.
McCarthy went 11 for 17 in his NFL debut last weekend, throwing for 188 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also provided 18 yards on two carries.
After playing spot duty as a true freshman in 2021, McCarthy took the reins of the Wolverines offense in 2022, leading Michigan to a 27-1 record as a starter. In 2022, Michigan went undefeated until an upset loss in the College Football Playoff semifinals against TCU. They ran the table in 2023, including wins over Alabama and Washington in the CFP to claim the program’s first national championship since 1997.
In 2023 , McCarthy was named the Big Ten Quarterback of the Year and finished 10th in Heisman Trophy voting.
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