Beat Writer Expects Full Repair of Meniscus for J.J. McCarthy

Updated Story: J.J. McCarthy Undergoes Successful Knee Surgery

Minnesota Vikings’ fans got stressful news on Monday night that rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy was experiencing knee pain and would not participate in the Vikings’ night practice. Fast forward to the next day, head coach Kevin O’Connell delivered the disastrous news that McCarthy suffered a meniscus tear that would require surgery.

As of right now, there are two potential timelines that will be decided once they open up McCarthy’s knee in surgery. The first is a partial repair or trim, which would equivalate to a shorter recovery time of approximately four to six weeks. The second is a full repair of the meniscus, which means McCarthy would miss four to six months.

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Either way, both of these options are disastrous given the recent performance of McCarthy in the preseason game and his potential ability to start week one. This is officially out of the picture now, and the real question is… what type of surgery will he get, and when will he return?

Local beat writer “bets” Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy will get full repair of meniscus

According to Ben Goessling (Star Tribune) via Access Vikings, he fully expects that the Minnesota Vikings and McCarthy will decide to do the full repair. If this is the case, this means that McCarthy will be out approximately four to six months and miss most, if not all, of the 2024 NFL season.

Per @BenGoessling via @AccessVikings, he expects and bets that @Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy will get the full meniscus repair and miss multiple months of the season 😔

“I would expect, I would be very surprised if it’s just the trim… I would bet that we’re talking, whether it’s… pic.twitter.com/IVgysxj3wH

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) August 13, 2024

I would expect, I would be very surprised if it’s just the trim… I would bet that we’re talking, whether it’s the severity of it or desire to be cautious, they’re going full repair and a lot of season will be involved in rehabbing that thing.

Ben Goessling (Star Tribune) via Access Vikings

In the podcast, Goessling continued to preach how the Minnesota Vikings’ want to be extremely cautious with him and to not detriment his future or even the long-term health of McCarthy post-NFL career. In many situations, players that just get the partial repair or trim go on to experience other knee issues or arthritis. Something that could cut his NFL career short, or cause McCarthy problems later on in his life.

Meniscus surgery will take place this week

Another thing Goessling confirmed on the Access Vikings podcast was that McCarthy’s surgery will take place later this week. Not only Goessling, but Alec Lewis (The Athletic) also confirmed this.

#Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy’s meniscus surgery should be performed “later this week”, per @BenGoessling via @AccessVikings.

📸: Bruce Kluckhohn pic.twitter.com/15iLosn6km

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) August 14, 2024

I would think surgery probably happens later this week and then the timetable comes off of that once they go in there and see exactly what they’re dealing with.

Ben Goessling (Star Tribune) via Access Vikings

Overall, Vikings’ fans should get an official verdict later this week on what type of surgery McCarthy received as well as how long the recovery time will be. Regardless, McCarthy will lose valuable practice time, and his chances of starting at any point this season is fully in question. It’s Sam Darnold’s team now, and all Minnesota Vikings’ fans can do is hope McCarthy comes back soon and fully healthy.