Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will have meniscus surgery this week, head coach Kevin O’Connell said Tuesday.
The first-round draft pick (10th overall), who led Michigan to an undefeated national championship last season, reported soreness in his right knee before the diagnosis.
Tests revealed the meniscus injury, but the extent of the damage — and the recovery timetable — won’t be known until he undergoes surgery.
McCarthy completed 11 of 17 passes for 188 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in Saturday’s 24-23 win against the Las Vegas Raiders in the Vikings’ preseason opener.
“I had a very clear-cut plan and really was going to continue through that with J.J. on the field,” O’Connell said. “Getting more and more reps, and obviously coming off a performance like he had where we felt strongly about where he was at and his development process.
“So, you hurt for him, just in the short term here because he had such a daily process and focus and all the those things that I was looking for at that position.”
McCarthy took to social media to offer the team’s fans a comforting thought.
“Love you Viking nation. I’ll be back in no time,” he wrote on Twitter.
Without McCarthy in the mix, journeyman Sam Darnold is in line to be the starting quarterback when Minnesota opens the regular season on Sept. 8 against the host New York Giants.
McCarthy, 21, completed 72.3 percent of his passes for 2,991 yards with 22 touchdowns and four interceptions for the 15-0 Wolverines last season.
–Field Level Media