J.J. McCarthy Is Out For Entire 2024 NFL Season And This Is How That Was Determined

The surgical procedure Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy had Wednesday morning revealed the worst news possible. 

He required a full repair to the torn meniscus in his right knee and is out for the whole season, coach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday.

Aug 2, 2024; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) warms up during practice at Vikings training camp in Eagan, MN. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

McCarthy Timeline Determined By Surgery

The Vikings are in Cleveland for dual practices with the Browns ahead of their preseason game and O'Connell told the media about the surgery's results prior to practice.

"I'm most crushed for J.J. but as most of our fans have already come to find out, or will, this guy is so motivated and so dialed in, as excited as I was to draft him, he's confirmed everything that I hoped to see not only early on in camp and his performance last Saturday, but out fan base and everyone should be excited we have our young franchise quarterback in the building," O'Connell said.

That's good that McCarthy is in the building for the Vikings.

But he's not going to be on the field. That assignment goes to Sam Darnold who becomes the Vikings starter.

And this is the reason McCarthy is done for 2024:

A full or larger tear, which is what doctors obviously saw during Wednesday's procedure, required a full-on repair that will take 4 to 6 months for McCarthy to get back, according to OutKick contributor Dr. David Chao, the former longtime orthopedic surgeon for the Chargers who is currently in private practice and runs Sicscore.com for injury news.

A smaller tear could have been trimmed and meant McCarthy would have missed 4 to 6 weeks, Dr. Chao said.

Aug 2, 2024; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) and quarterback Sam Darnold (14) warm up during practice at Vikings training camp in Eagan, MN. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Difference Between McCarthy Procedures

"Look, media all the time say, ‘He’s having the meniscus repaired or fixed' and lay people say it all the time," Dr. Chao said. "It's much more common to have a trim than it is to have it sewn.

"Medically, we say repair means sutures and sewn which means more time to heal."

Chao said the timeline for the trim is a plus-minus of 4-to-6 weeks depending on where the tear is and how bad. The repair, meanwhile, is "basically season ending for him," Chao added.

This worst-case scenario means McCarthy will be ready to return to on-field activities sometime as late as February.

"You only repair menisci that are bigger tears," Dr. Chao said. "And you preserve the meniscus by sewing it. A trim usually implies a small tear and you just take the torn part out."

J.J. McCarthy Doesn't Get A Choice 

Dr. Chao said McCarthy had little choice in which direction the procedure went. O'Connell concurred on that front.

"That's totally, totally a medical decision," O'Connell said earlier this week. "Certainly, what's best for the long-term health of J.J. McCarthy will be the priority. I don't have that answer and really won't be a part of determining that answer.

"I have total and complete trust in our medical staff and also the people that will be performing the procedure." 

O'Connell said McCarthy will spend much of his time this season rehabilitating from this surgery and "continuing the very critical development process for him, where maybe the physical reps aren't there in the short term."

Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) passes against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

‘Small’ Setback, Vikings Think

O'Connell said this injury and time lost as a rookie is a "small bump in the road" for McCarthy.

The Vikings, meanwhile, are familiar with quarterback misfortunes that send the players to the sidelines for the entire year and derail seasons.

In 2016, the club lost starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a knee injury before the start of the regular season. The injury happened despite the fact Bridgewater was not touched when he hurt it.

Last season, the club lost starting quarterback Kirk Cousins to an Achilles tendon rupture in Week 8. The Vikings were 4-4 in games Cousins started but finished the season 7-10.

And now the loss of the quarterback the Vikings already believe is their future franchise quarterback.

Not good.