Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy says he’s doing his best to stay positive after a preseason meniscus tear will cause him to miss his entire rookie season.
“It’s tough. It’s kind of a kick in the balls,” McCarthy said. “But you take everything life throws at you and find the positive, good or bad.”
McCarthy said that he didn’t realize during during the preseason game when he suffered the injury that anything was wrong, and he’s still not sure exactly when in the game he tore his meniscus. Only the day after the game, when his knee started to buckle when walking downstairs, did it occur to him he needed to get the knee checked out.
The Vikings had him do an exploratory surgery and told him when he woke up from the surgery he’d know how serious it was based on whether they had put his knee in a brace. He said he was “shocked” when he woke up with his knee braced and doctors told him it was a season-ending injury.
Without having any chances on the field in 2024, McCarthy said he is trying his best to learn the Vikings’ offense and also learn everything that a quarterback does during the week to prepare mentally. He also said he has learned how supportive Vikings fans are.
“I want to thank all the fans for all the love I’ve received for the last couple weeks,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy will hope to give the fans something to cheer for on the field, but that won’t happen until 2025.