J.J. McCarthy Now Has an Expected Return Date

By Dustin Baker

·February 10, 2025

The 2024 NFL season is formally over, with the Philadelphia Eagles coming out on top after eviscerating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX.

J.J. McCarthy Now Has an Expected Return Date

The next stop? The offseason, which had already arrived for 30 teams before Sunday night.

Minnesota quarterback J. McCarthy talks about trading nicknames with wide receiver Justin Jefferson, getting acquainted with Minnesota, pregame meditation, listening to Bob Marley and more. The Vikings drafted McCarthy in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft with the 10th overall pick. He takes over for Kirk Cousins.

And intermixed with Super Bowl week, Minnesota Vikings fans learned a bit of an update on quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s torn meniscus recovery — the man is expected to be ready to roll in a few weeks.

NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero wrote Sunday, “McCarthy, who had a full repair of his torn meniscus in August and an additional procedure in November, is expected to begin football drills in the next few weeks and should be ready to roll by OTAs in May.”

McCarthy played one preseason game last summer — he looked spectacular — and tore his meniscus, sidelining him for all of his rookie season. The 22-year-old became the first quarterback in NFL history drafted in the Top 10 to miss his entire rookie season due to injury.

Meanwhile, Minnesota has a choice afoot at quarterback: to let it rip with McCarthy in 2025 as QB1 or re-sign Sam Darnold, who played wonderfully through 16 games of the 2024 season. Pelissero also opined on that topic: “The Vikings are in an unusual spot, with Sam Darnold, a 27-year-old Pro Bowl quarterback coming off his best season, and J.J. McCarthy, a 22-year-old first-round pick in 2024, coming off a preseason knee injury that wiped out his rookie season.”

If Darnold hits free agency, he’ll likely command a contract worth $35-$45 million, money the Vikings might not have lying around for a quarterback who capitulated when it mattered the most.

Nov 26, 2022; Columbus, OH, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) throws a long touchdown against Ohio State Buckeyes in the third quarter of their game at Ohio Stadium. © Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK.

“The focus is constructing the roster in a way that ensures they can put a championship-caliber team around whoever is under center. And just as with Cousins last year, it only takes one team to offer Darnold a contract that the Vikings simply don’t feel comfortable matching. If the Vikings and Darnold can’t work out a deal before March 4, the franchise tag — or even a tag-and-trade — are among several options. But it’s too early in the process to know where this ends,” Pelissero added about Minnesota’s offseason quarterback choice.

But no matter what, the McCarthy update is ideal and expected. A torn meniscus is not that egregious in the grand scheme of NFL knee injuries, and the youngster should be ready by the start of spring.

Minnesota has early +4000 Super Bowl odds for 2025, the 15th-best in the league.

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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.

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.