Vikings' J.J. McCarthy Out for 2024 NFL Season After Surgery on Knee Injury

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will miss the 2024 season after undergoing surgery to repair his torn meniscus on Wednesday, head coach Kevin O'Connell announced.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that it was determined Wednesday morning that a full repair was necessary, but the Vikings "strongly believe" McCarthy will "come back stronger than ever."

McCarthy suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee that required surgery, O'Connell told reporters on Tuesday. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, McCarthy complained of knee soreness the previous weekend.

---

10 questions, one life. Tap in to play Streaks, B/R's daily sports trivia game.

---

The Vikings selected the former Michigan star with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. McCarthy had just led the Wolverines to a perfect 15-0 record and a national championship to cap a collegiate career that included 49 touchdowns (to just 11 interceptions) and 6,226 passing yards on a 67.6 percent completion rate. He also rushed for 632 yards and 10 scores.

He's viewed as the Vikings' future long-term franchise quarterback, but Sam Darnold is now the clear-cut QB1 for 2024.

Only three quarterbacks have led the team in passing for five or more straight seasons (Kirk Cousins, Fran Tarkenton, Daunte Culpepper), and McCarthy will hope to give the Vikings similar long-term stability once he's fully recovered in 2025.