Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) had a biologic injection to deal with intermittent swelling in his right knee, according to a source, not a second surgery, as was reported on Wednesday. There has been no change in McCarthy's recovery timeline. "He's really knocked it out of the park every step of the way, and as his rehab has picked up, we noticed a little swelling in there. He's been doing everything we asked of him, but just wanted to make sure that there was no cause for concern, and all reports were very positive," head coach Kevin O'Connell said. The 21-year-old first-rounder had surgery for a torn meniscus on Aug. 14, assuring he won't make his NFL debut until 2025. McCarthy should be rostered in all dynasty/keeper formats with the Vikings hoping he can be their QB of the future. Current starter Sam Darnold has faded a bit after a hot start in 2024.
Nov 14, 2024 6:53 PM EST
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) underwent a second knee surgery this week after an uptick in his rehab activity led to swelling, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. The 21-year-old suffered a season-ending knee injury before his first regular season began, and although this news is not what fantasy managers or Vikings fans want to hear, the second procedure is not expected to change his timeline to return to action. The first-round pick out of Michigan should still be ready for his sophomore campaign, and he is still viewed as the quarterback of the future despite Sam Darnold having a good year until the last few weeks. With weapons like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson to work with in Kevin O'Connell's offense, McCarthy has an intriguing upside, and this could be a good buy window for him in dynasty formats.
Nov 13, 2024 2:23 PM EST
Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) was officially placed on the season-ending injured reserve on Friday afternoon. In a corresponding move, the Vikings signed quarterback Matt Corral, who will compete for the No. 3 job. McCarthy missed practice earlier this week as he was dealing with knee soreness but eventually underwent an MRI, which showed a tear in his meniscus. The Michigan product underwent knee surgery on Wednesday and will now focus on recovering for the 2025 season. This is a tough blow for the former national champion, who looked quite sharp in the pro debut on Saturday as he went 11-for-17 with 188 passing yards and two scores. Fantasy managers should expect Sam Darnold to serve as the starting quarterback in Minnesota this season, with Nick Mullens slotted as the No. 2.
Aug 16, 2024 4:43 PM EST
Minnesota Vikings rookie first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) will miss his entire rookie season after having successful surgery on Wednesday morning on the meniscus in his knee. The Vikings announced on Tuesday that the 21-year-old had a meniscus tear in his right knee, and apparently he needed a full repair, which will cost him all of 2024. The 12th overall pick in this year's NFL draft was fully expected to start his rookie year as the backup to Sam Darnold while the team slow-played his development, but there was still a good chance he would have seen the field this year, especially if Darnold struggled in the starting role. Now, McCarthy will rest and rehab and learn from the sidelines. He can obviously be avoided in all single-year fantasy leagues. Nick Mullens will open the regular season as Darnold's backup.
Aug 14, 2024 1:54 PM EST
Minnesota Vikings rookie first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) missed training camp practice on Monday with knee soreness, and tests revealed a meniscus issue that will require surgery. As with most meniscus surgeries, there will be a determination made during the procedure to either trip or repair. A trim would mean out for only a few weeks, but a full repair would mean many months on the sidelines. Regardless of which outcome it is for the 21-year-old 12th overall pick in this year's draft, he will not be opening his rookie campaign as Minnesota's starting QB. Instead, that designation will fall to former first-rounder Sam Darnold, who opened training camp listed as the QB1 on the unofficial depth chart. The Vikings hope McCarthy is their future franchise signal-caller, but they were already slow-playing his development, and this injury will push back his timetable.
Aug 13, 2024 1:02 PM EST
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell announced that rookie first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy (knee) is dealing with knee soreness and won't take part in Monday night's training camp practice. The Vikings are likely just being overly cautious here with who they hope will be their QB of the future. The 21-year-old Michigan product made his NFL debut in Saturday's preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders and went 11-for-17 for 188 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. McCarthy got off to a bad start but eventually settled in against backup defenders. Hopefully, his knee injury doesn't cause him to miss too much practice time, but either way, former first-rounder Sam Darnold is fully expected to open the year as Minnesota's starter as they slow-play the development of McCarthy.
Aug 12, 2024 7:52 PM EST
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is going to get his first taste of professional football on Saturday against the Las Vegas Raiders. Sam Darnold will draw the start under center before McCarthy takes over. Head coach Kevin O'Connell said that the rookie signal-caller will get a significant amount of work during the preseason opener. Second-year quarterback Jaren Hall is expected to play after McCarthy exits the contest. The Vikings appear to be making this a legitimate competition, but McCarthy is looked upon as the quarterback of the future in Minnesota.
Aug 8, 2024 6:18 PM EST
Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy has taken a back seat to Sam Darnold during the opening days of training camp. Head coach Kevin O'Connell said today that McCarthy will eventually get some consistent first-team reps in camp, but that Sam Darnold had earned the right to get the bulk of them to this point. O'Connell also said he will use that time both to evaluate McCarthy and also see if Darnold can "elevate" a different set of receivers other than Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The 21-year-old first-round pick is getting more comfortable during camp, but the Vikings have stressed that patience will be key in the development of McCarthy, their 2024 first-round pick. Sam Darnold is currently the favorite to open Week 1 as Minnesota's starting quarterback, but with the playmakers at the skill positions for the Vikings, McCarthy will be an attractive streaming quarterback if he gets the opportunity to start this season.
Jul 30, 2024 10:03 PM EST
Minnesota Vikings rookie first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy is not focused too much on trying to win the starting job in his first NFL season. "The process is the progress," McCarthy said. The 10th overall pick in April's draft mostly has worked behind presumptive starter Sam Darnold in the first three practices of training camp. "My ultimate goal is to get the most out of every single day. When the time comes [to start], it comes. I'm just training every single day so that when that time does come, I'm going to be ready," McCarthy said. The 21-year-old Michigan product said he can now call plays in the huddle without stumbling through the verbiage. It sounds like McCarthy is getting more comfortable already, but the Vikings have made it clear they will treat his development with patience above all else, and conventional wisdom around the team suggests that Darnold will open as the starter.
Jul 28, 2024 1:28 PM EST
Minnesota Vikings No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy signed a four-year, fully-guaranteed rookie contract on Friday that is worth $21.85 million and also includes a $12.71 million signing bonus and a fifth-year team option, according to sources. McCarthy won a national championship at Michigan in his final season in college and is now hoping to be the Vikings' next franchise signal-caller, although it won't come right away. Former first-rounder Sam Darnold is fully expected to open the year as the starter under center in Minnesota, with McCarthy learning on the sidelines. Most evaluators don't see a ton of upside in McCarthy at the next level, but it doesn't mean he won't be making some starts later on in the 2024 campaign. McCarthy can be avoided in single-year fantasy leagues.
Jul 19, 2024 3:04 PM EST
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy was recently praised by fellow teammate Blake Cashman. Cashman, a linebacker, recently joined Minnesota this offseason and has been around several young quarterbacks. He began his career in the Big Apple with Zach Wilson and played with former second-overall pick C.J. Stroud last season. The 28-year-old defender said on the Jim Rome Show that McCarthy "Is 21 years old, but a great young man. He's a leader and he's eager to learn." This is great to see McCarthy's leadership translate quite well and quickly to the NFL as he led the Michigan Wolverines to two consecutive playoff appearances, including a national championship this past season. Cashman further expressed how well the young quarterback has thrown the ball in minicamps. Even though the 21-year-old is reportedly not starting in Week 1, according to Alec Lewis of the Athletic, it is great to see his veteran teammates express their excitement and support for him. McCarthy was a popular first-round selection in rookie drafts this past spring and remains a coveted asset in dynasty leagues.
Jul 3, 2024 6:55 PM EST
The Athletic's Alec Lewis writes that Minnesota Vikings first-round rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy definitely won't be starting in Week 1 of the 2024 regular season, and he probably won't start in the first quarter of the season. There's even a scenario in which he shouldn't be expected to start at all this year, depending on how Sam Darnold fares. It's not a referendum on McCarthy's talent or his minicamp performance, but rather the team's long-term developmental plan for him. If Darnold, a former first-rounder himself, is dominating and winning in his first year in Minnesota, it will make it easy for the coaching staff to keep McCarthy on the sidelines while he learns. But if Darnold is struggling and the team isn't competitive, it will be hard for head coach Kevin O'Connell to quiet the noise for McCarthy. The bottom line is that McCarthy should be avoided in redraft fantasy leagues.
Jun 28, 2024 1:26 PM EST
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