J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up before the preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Minnesota Vikings selected J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 draft. The Vikings traded up with the New York Jets to get into position to select McCarthy.
However, he missed his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus.
Sam Darnold started the season as QB1 as planned. But McCarthy’s injury prevented him from taking advantage of any opportunities he may have had to take the Vikings’ QB1 job from Darnold.
“All signs do point to J.J. being okay healthwise,” KTSP’s Darren Wolfson said on “SKOR North” on January 21. “In fact, I was texting with somebody close to J.J. on Thursday afternoon after the Kwesi [Adofo-Mensah]–Kevin [O’Connell] season-ending news conference they are convinced he’ll be ready to go in September.”
This is undoubtedly great news for the Vikings.
With the uncertainty around Darnold and late-season addition Daniel Jones, McCarthy’s health is paramount for the Vikings.
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings participates in a drill during training camp.
McCarthy had to undergo two surgeries to address his meniscus. But the Vikings rookie was optimistic that he would be ready to go for the season.
O’Connell was more cautious but still optimistic.
“I’m very excited about where J.J.’s at,” O’Connell told reporters on January 16. “He’s returned to on-field training, he’s returned to being able to be right where we hoped he would be at this point uh to have the type of offseason to be able to answer [if he is ready to start]. I think he maximized what this year was for him. I think he’s got a level of comfort in our offensive system and getting to, really, have a front-row seat for every aspect of what Sam went through.
“Him being able to absorb a lot of that and now have a really positive offseason from start to finish here will be able to give us, I think, the answer to that question as well as what that quarterback room looks like as a whole, the way I look at it.”
“The knee is doing fantastic. It’s on the road the told me it would be on… PRP we got that done… it’s all part of the process.”
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“Very excited about the opportunity to be there with J.J. as he continues to move through this wonderful thing we call the quarterback world,” O’Connell said. “I’m very excited about that.”
Kevin O’Connell’s Contract Extension Bodes Well for J.J. McCarthy, Vikings
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell reacts against the Los Angeles Rams.
McCarthy has been the subject of trade rumors despite still being in his rookie season. Part of that is due to Darnold’s play, and the presence of Jones on the Vikings’ roster has led to speculation McCarthy may not be ready to go by the spring.
However, as O’Connell’s hand-picked QB, the former NO. 10 overall pick’s status on the team appears set after his head coach’s contract extension.
We’ve agreed to terms on a multi-year contract extension with Head Coach Kevin O’Connell.
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O’Connell and his staff diligently scouted the 2024 quarterback class, including eventual No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots QB Drake Maye, who went No. 3 in last April’s draft.
They surrendered assets to acquire McCarthy, and he played well before his injury.
All signs point to the rookie at least getting a chance to prove he is not the player O’Connell and the Vikings believe he is before they decide to move on.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
