Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) warms up before the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Most Minnesota Vikings fans are heavily invested in the team’s 10-2 season at the moment — rightfully so — but before too long, all eyes will turn to quarterback J.J. McCarthy and his game-readiness for 2025.
And thanks to a podcast appearance, McCarthy’s recovery from a torn meniscus he suffered in August is trending wonderfully.
The man is totally on schedule.
McCarthy joined former NFL tight end Jake Butt on Butt’s podcast this week and said: “The knee is doing fantastic. It’s on the road that they told me it was going to be on, which is up and down, upside down, sideways, backwards, all the way around.”
He also told Butt, “So, PRP injection, we got that done. Going in there and having to get cut open wasn’t great, but it’s alright because it’s all a part of the process, and I’m in a good spot right now.”
McCarthy had an injection last month as part of his recovery process, and some flipped out because they perceived it as some kind of emergency, unexpected surgery. In reality, the rookie had the injection, which is not uncommon for a meniscus recovery.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters in November about McCarthy’s injection, “As his rehab has picked up, we noticed a little swelling in there, and just with the time that we do have … we just wanted to make sure there was no cause for concern. All reports were very positive, and he’s on the original timetable and in good shape.”
O’Connell also told the media, “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.”
Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling added about the budding controversy in November: “Source confirmed ESPN’s Kevin Seifert’s report that J.J. McCarthy had a biologic injection to deal with intermittent swelling in his knee. No change to his recovery timeline. To be clear: Source said it was just an injection for McCarthy. No second surgery.”
So, onlookers debated whether an injection was surgery for about a week.
But according to McCarthy, his knee is healing well, and his original timetable — which is undisturbed — will place him firmly available for Vikings operations when the 2025 offseason rolls around.
Minnesota will have a fascinating question next spring, summer, and autumn — will it roll with McCarthy as the unabashed QB1 or explore short-team deals for Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones, two men currently on the depth chart?
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
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