Seriously?

Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy had a sparkling preseason debut on Saturday. For two days, fans of the team were feeling pretty good about things. Those good feelings were replaced with fears when head coach Kevin O’Connell announced on Monday that McCarthy was experiencing pain in his knee. Those fears were confirmed when it was revealed yesterday that the rookie quarterback will undergo surgery for a torn meniscus. The surgery will reveal the severity of the tear. The severity of the tear will determine the procedure. If it’s a “simple” trim of the meniscus, the recovery and rehab could be 4-6 weeks. If it’s a repair of the meniscus, the recovery and rehab could be months, maybe the entire season. 

Seriously? 

It’s a setback but it could be so much worse. Too often, the Vikings have seen so much worse in their troubling search for a long-term, franchise quarterback. In their efforts to replace Fran Tarkenton as the team’s franchise quarterback since 1978, the Vikings have selected five quarterbacks in the first round of the NFL Draft.

1977: Tommy Kramer

1999: Daunte Culpepper

2011: Christian Ponder

2015: Teddy Bridgewater

2024: J.J. McCarthy

All but Christian Ponder had a legitimate shot at being the quarterback the Vikings sought. Tommy Kramer was a fun gunslinger. With his ability to haul his team back, no game felt outside his reach. Unfortunately, a variety of injuries kept pulling him off the field. Daunte Culpepper made three Pro Bowls in five seasons and had an MVP-caliber season in 2004. In 2005, he suffered a torn ACL. The Vikings traded him during the 2006 offseason. He was never again the same player. After a promising season in 2015, Teddy Bridgewater had everyone surrounding the Vikings excited about the possibilities in 2016. About a week before the season, his knee exploded as he was stepping away from the center. The damage to the knee was so severe that he nearly lost his leg. The recovery was long and his full return to the field took years. 

There’s no comparison between McCarthy’s injury and Kramer’s long injury history. The original #9 was getting injured for more years than the current #9 has been playing quarterback. There’s no comparison between McCarthy’s meniscus tear (no matter the severity) and Culpepper’s torn ACL. I also seriously doubt McCarthy hacks up his rehab as severely as Culpepper hacked up his. There’s definitely no comparison between McCarthy’s little meniscus issue and Bridgewater’s brutal injury. As bad as it all feels right now, it could be so much worse. Still, McCarthy’s injury sucks. It especially sucks coming in the wake of his play in the his preseason debut. The Vikings six-decade search for a quarterback has been a disaster. It’s always something and this feels like the next something. 

Some pundits have said that this injury could be a good thing for J.J. McCarthy. I’m not so sure an injury is ever a good thing. Still, I get what they’re saying. With this down time, McCarthy can slow down, watch Sam Darnold play the position for the Vikings, and better learn and understand the system and verbiage. I get it. It will also be a relief for O’Connell. The media questions about when the rookie’s going to start are done for a while. 

Get well soon, J.J.